ST. LOUIS, Mo. – 2024 Washington University in St. Louis graduate and women's track and field standout
Emma Kelley has been awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, as recently announced by the organization.
Including Kelley, WashU has had 13 student-athletes earn NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships since 2017.
Kelley wrapped up one of the most impressive careers in program history with six national championships between indoor and outdoor track and field—the most in program history—as well as the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor team title.
Kelley won the 400m outdoor crown with a personal best and a new program record of 53.73. Less than an hour after that, she went back out to successfully defend her 800m title, running a 2:06.02. This marked the first time since 1992 that an athlete won both the 400m and 800m titles in the same outdoor meet. Additionally, Kelley capped off the outdoor championships with the program's first-ever 4x400 outdoor title, winning in 3:44.69 alongside teammates
Kylie Spytek,
Danielle Schultz, and
Cate Christopher. For her stellar performance, Kelley was named the 2024 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Women's Track Athlete of the Year.
At the 2024 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships, Kelley won the 800m title with a time of 2:04.13, breaking the previous 800m all-time mark (2:05.39) set in 2022. Kelley also finished second with her team in the 4x400 relay with a time of 3:46.44.
Kelley won her first-ever national title at the 2023 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships, taking the 800m crown with a time of 2:06.62, which was a new personal record at the time and a new Division III top time for the season.
She went on to win the 800m at the 2023 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships, with a time of 2:06.47, winning by nearly three seconds for her second national title.
Off the track, Kelley served as a Bear Cubs Running Team coach. The Bear Cubs Running Team is a program that began in 2015 to meet the needs for inclusion, family support, and improved health for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It is a university-based program that improves the lives of children, their siblings, and their parents through free weekly practices at Bushyhead Track led by WashU's cross country and track and field teams.
Additionally, Kelley served as a teaching assistant for Anatomy and Physiology and a note-taker for Disability Resources. She also volunteered at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee two years in a row and at the St. Louis Women's Safehouse.
NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships are awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and who are at least in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition. The one-time, non-renewable scholarships of $10,000 are awarded three times a year corresponding to each sport season (fall, winter, and spring). Each sports season there are 21 scholarships available for men and 21 scholarships available for women for use in an accredited graduate program.
All former student-athletes who earned an undergraduate degree from an NCAA member school are eligible to be nominated by that school for an NCAA graduate degree scholarship, regardless of when they received their undergraduate degree.
The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote and encourage graduate education by rewarding the Association's most accomplished student-athletes through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports. Athletic and academic achievements, campus involvement, community service, volunteer activities, and demonstrated leadership are evaluated.
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Elevating scholar-champions requires resources beyond the institutional budget. Through the W Club, generous alumni, parents, and friends provide unrestricted support that is essential to the extraordinary WashU student-athlete experience—and the ongoing growth and development of the department. Annual support for Athletics allows the Bears to consistently rise to national levels of competition and ensures that our student-athletes enjoy exceptional opportunities as they train, compete, and lead. To make a gift to the Annual Fund for Athletics, please visit our secure online giving form or contact the Athletics Advancement Office at (314) 935-5279 or athletics@wustl.edu.
