Coming into high school, Karsyn Leeling never imagined she would set numerous meet and state records, become a Division I athlete, or be in the world’s spotlight. But that’s what has happened for the senior from Sidney High School, who entered this month as the number-one ranked high school female high jumper in the world. A Husker track and field recruit who was closing in on qualifying for the USA Olympic Trials, Leeling hopes to cap her incredible and memorable high school athletic career with another amazing showing at the Nebraska State Track and Field Championships.
JEFF FIELDER Editor
SIDNEY – Before this track and field season even started, Karsyn Leeling was feeling pretty good about her chances of setting a new personal record in the high jump – and possibly even breaking the Nebraska all-class high jump record of 5 feet, 11 1/4 inches, which had stood for nearly 40 years.
One reason for her optimism was because of something that had happened on the basketball court this past season. The 5-foot-9 Leeling jumped to see if she could touch the basketball rim, and she could – fairly easily.
“When I was able to snap the rim, that’s when I knew my vertical had gone up,” she said. “I was able to do that throughout the basketball season, so I figured I could have a pretty good track season.”
Leeling’s best high jump before this season was 5-10, which she accomplished at the Ed Moore Invite in Ogallala in April 2023. She went on to win a state title in the event in May 2023 with a leap of 5-8.
Because of her success last season, combined with the strides she made in the weight room during the offseason, she set a goal to clear 6 feet in the high jump this season. That would be 2 inches higher than her previous best, which might not sound like a big difference to some people, but for a high jumper, it’s a huge difference.
“To put it into perspective, 5-10 was the previous Class B record, and only about four people had done that,” Leeling said. “So, trying to go from 5-10 to 5-11 isn’t easy. Going up even one inch is really big for a high jumper.”
Nevertheless, Leeling wasn’t going to shy away from the challenge, which is why she felt good about aiming for 6 feet this year. She never expected it to happen in the first meet of the season, though, if at all.
But that’s what happened at the opening meet in March in Sidney, where Leeling broke the Nebraska all-class high jump record with a leap of 6 feet.
“That really caught me by surprise, especially because of the weather that day,” she said. “Before I jumped, I was really tight. It was cold, so I didn’t think I’d be able to jump really well. But after I warmed up and starting going through the [different heights], I got to 6 feet, and I was able to clear it. I was really happy and really shocked.”
Since Leeling achieved her goal in the first meet, she had to set a new goal for the rest of the season. She didn’t let too much time go by before setting a new – and very lofty – goal.
“When I cleared 6 feet, that really opened my eyes and made me wonder just how high I could go this season,” she said. “I figured why not go for 6-3.”
At Sidney’s second meet of the season in Ogallala, Leeling jumped 5-11. Then, in the third meet of the season in Mitchell, Leeling did something that turned heads again – not just state-wide but also across the entire nation. She cleared 6-1, which broke her own all-class state record.
“Clearing 6-1 was definitely harder,” she said. “On my third attempt, when I jumped the bar kind of bounced. I was nervous about whether it would stay up there. I kind of said to myself, ‘Please, don’t fall.’ I’m glad it didn’t.”
Those in attendance, of course, were in awe of what Leeling had just accomplished. Even she was surprised.
“It was a surreal moment, for sure,” she said.
At Sidney’s next meet in Gothenburg, she cleared 5-11. Then, at the following meet – in Alliance on April 13 – Leeling put herself in the world’s spotlight with a leap that can only be described as “incredible” for a high school female jumper.
She cleared 6-1 1/2, which again broke her own all-class state record and also sent her to the top of the rankings not just in the United States but the entire world.
“I want to say it was shocking to me, but by that point, I was kind of used to it since I kept breaking my own record,” Leeling said. “When I got 6-1 1/2, it was really exciting, but it also seemed to come so naturally to me. I felt pretty calm and relaxed the whole time.”
On that memorable day, Leeling’s starting height was 5-4, and she then proceeded to clear 5-7, 5-9, and then 5-11. Shen then cleared what she thought was 6-1 3/4 – a new record – but after meet officials re-measured the bar height, it was actually 6-1 1/2. She wasn’t super disappointed, though.
“I was OK with it because I had a feeling I would get it eventually,” Leeling said in late April.
Although her jump that day wasn’t a new record, she did receive a boost of confidence from her performance. That’s because she had cleared 6-1 1/2 with ease.
“I was probably 2 inches over the bar, so that made me think I could easily get 6-2 or maybe even 6-3 at some point,” she said.
At the next meet, in Lexington, Leeling won with a height of 6 feet, and at the Best in the West Classic in Scottsbluff on April 23, she won again with a height of 5-11.
Although Leeling’s goal for the rest of the season was 6-3, she would be elated to add even 1/4 to her height to go up to 6-1 3/4, which is the height needed for any female athlete, regardless of age, to qualify for the USA Olympic Trials in July.
“That’s a really big goal of mine,” she said in April. “I would love to compete in the Olympic Trials.”
To make the United States’ Olympic squad, Leeling figures she would need to jump around 6-4 or 6-5 – a height that’s simply amazing for any female athlete.
“There’s a girl in the United States who’s jumping 6-8 right now,” Leeling said. “She has the national high school record, which is 6-4 1/2. She graduated in 2015, but she’s competing now for USA.”
You can read the entire story in the May 2024 issue of Nspire Today! magazine. A one-year subscription (12 issues) is only $20. You may sign up for a subscription by sending $20 to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363, or you may pay with a credit card by calling 308-220-8907.
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