Track and Field

- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- kblair@uoregon.edu
- Phone:
- (541) 346-5438
Oregon track fans continue to celebrate the return of former great Kelly Blair LaBounty to the Duck fold as a third-year assistant coach for the 2007-08 season.
The 36-year-old Prosser, Wash., native will coach UO's men's and women's high jumpers, women’s hurdlers and heptathlon corps, and also oversaw many of the program’s administrative duties her first two seasons.
Kalindra McFadden scored a top-six Pac-10 Championships heptathlon finish (sixth, 5,115) for the second straight season vs. the nation's top hep league, and reaped her third NCAA provisional mark of her outdoor career. Freshman Erin Funkhouser added 10th place and stood as UO's fifth, top-10 event finisher the past two seasons. Indoors, Lauryn Jordan broke the UO school record in the pentathlon with her third-place Mountain Pacific Championships score (3,957) and NCAA provisional score that ranked 18th both among collegians and Americans on season best lists.
In 2005-06, Blair's personal touch on the women's successful postseason run was obvious as her corps collected one All-America honor and three NCAA invitations and top-eight Pac-10 Conference Championships finishes.
Lauryn Jordan finished seventh outdoors in the 2006 NCAA heptathlon with a personal best of 5,499 points - a 63-point personal best that moved her to third all-time for UO and 16th on the U.S. season best list in '06. Jordan also scored her second straight top-four Pac-10 finish (third, 5,378), and ranked 10th nationally among collegians during the regular season with her then-personal best from the Mt. SAC Relays (5,426). McFadden made her heptathlon debuts in the NCAA Championships (25th, 4,670-six events) and Pac-10 Championships (sixth, 5,036 (fell-100m hurdles)), and her regular season best from the Mt. SAC Relays (5,428) ranked her sixth all-time for UO, and top-30 on the NCAA and USA season best lists (ninth/26th). Kasey Harwood also made her NCAA debut in the 400m hurdles (27th, 61.40) after she scored top-five finishes and personal bests in weeks prior in the Pac-10 Championships (fourth, 59.84) and West Regional (fifth, 59.79). Her latter clocking ranked her sixth all-time for UO with the program's fastest time since Blair ran 58.75 in 1993.
Indoors in '06, McFadden broke the school's pentathlon record in the Mountain Pacific Championships (third overall, 3,929), and joined UO's all-time indoor lists in the 60m hurdles (second, 8.88) and high jump (sixth, 5-7 3/4).
Blair LaBounty returned to Eugene after she served as an assistant coach at Seattle Pacific University from January 2003-November 2005. She guided the Falcons’ men’s and women’s multi-event and field event athletes to two NCAA Division II titles among their seven All-America honors, and her pupils combined for four GNAC outdoor conference records, four conference meet records, 12 conference titles, and two Academic All-America honors.
Oregon's greatest female student-athlete ever, Blair LaBounty competed in the Olympic Games in 1996 (eighth) and 2000 (injured) after first and third-place finishes in the Olympic Trials, respectively. In other international competitions, she added 10th place in the World Championships in 1995 and ’97.
In year-end rankings, she stood top-five in the U.S. seven seasons from ’93-’00, including first in 1996 and ’97, second in ’98, and third in ’95 and ’00. In USA Championships, she won three straight heptathlon titles in 1996 -98 among her seven top-four finishes.
At the world level, she also ranked top 10 in 1996 (10th), ’97 (ninth) and ’98 (seventh).
As a collegian for the Ducks, the three-time All-America heptathlete won the NCAA title as a junior in 1993 (6,038), was second as a senior in 1994 (5,877) and sixth as a sophomore in 1991 (5,377). Her collegiate heptathlon best from her NCAA victory (6,038) still stands as the Duck school record and ranks third all-time in Pac-10 history.
At the Pac-10 level, she claimed a pair of league titles in the heptathlon in 1993 (5,989) and ’94 (5,527) and long jump in ’94 (20-0 1/2), to go along with Pac-10 runner-up heptathlon finishes as a freshman and sophomore. She was tabbed Pac-10 Women’s Track and Field Athlete of the Year in ’93, and her winning junior season Pac-10 heptathlon tally (5,989) still stands as the current Pac-10 Championships record.
She was equally decorated in the classroom, and was an NCAA Top Eight Award winner, NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipient, two-time national First Team Academic All-American, and three-time Pac-10 All-Academic First Team selection. She graduated with a degree in Finance and Management.
Aside from her Duck track accomplishments, she also was a two-year letterwinner in basketball for Oregon, and a two-time Washington prep all-state basketball pick.
The Prosser High School 4.0 student and class valedictorian also won 10 Washington state track and field titles, and was the 1989 U.S. junior heptathlon champion and Pan Am Junior Championships runner-up.
The Prosser, Wash., native (11-24-70) is married to former Duck defensive lineman Matt LaBounty who was an NFL 12th-round selection in 1992 by the San Francisco 49ers, and later played with the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks. The couple have a son Jacob (4-19-04).
Blair's Oregon Coaching Accomplishments
Outdoor All-American
2006 - Lauryn Jordan, Heptathlon (7th, 5,499)
Other NCAA Qualifiers
2007 - Ashton Eaton, Long Jump (18th-prelims, 24-2.5)
2006 - Kasey Harwood, 400m Hurdles (27th-prelims, 61.40)
2006 - Kalindra McFadden, Heptathlon (25th-4, 4,670 points (6 events))
West Regional Scorers
2007 - Ashton Eaton, Long Jump (fifth, 24-6.25)
2006 - Kasey Harwood, 400m Hurdles (5th, 59.79)
Pac-10 Scorers
2007 - Kalindra McFadden, Heptathlon (3rd, 5,115)
2007 - Ashton Eaton, Long Jump (5th, 23-8.25)
2007 - Ashton Eaton, Decathlon (2nd, 7,123)
2006 - Kasey Harwood, 400m Hurdles (4th, 59.84)
2006 - Lauryn Jordan, Heptathlon (3rd, 5,378)
2006 - Kalindra McFadden, Heptathlon (6th, 5,036)
School Record Holders
2007 - Lauryn Jordan, Indoor Pentathlon (3,957 points)
2006 - Kalindra McFadden, Indoor Pentathlon (3,929 points)
Other U.S./International Athlete Honors
2007 USA Junior Championships - Ashton Eaton - Long Jump (2nd, 24-0.25)
2007 Pan American Junior Championships - Ashton Eaton - Long Jump (11th, 22-5.75)
Blair's Athletic Accomplishments
Olympic Appearances (2)
1996 - Heptathlon, 8th, 6,307
2000 - Heptathlon, Injured
World Championships Finishes (2)
1995 - Heptathlon, 10th, 6,229
1997 - Heptathlon, 10th, 6,253
World Rankings (Season Best)
1996 - 10th (6,406)
1997 - 9th (6,465)
1998 - 7th (6,465)
U.S. Rankings (Season Best)
1993 - Heptathlon, 4th (6,038)
1994 - Heptathlon, 5th (5,907)
1995 - Heptathlon, 3rd (6,354)
1996 - Heptathlon, 1st (6,406)
1997 - Heptathlon, 1st (6,465); Long Jump, 9th (21-0)
1998 - Heptathlon, 2nd (6,465)
2000 - Heptathlon, 3rd (6,217w)
U.S. Championships Finishes
1993 - Heptathlon, 4th (5,828)
1994 - Heptathlon, 3rd (5,907)
1995 - Heptathlon, 3rd (6,354)
1996 - Heptathlon, 1st (6,406)
1997 - Heptathlon, 1st (6,465), Long Jump, 9th
1998 - Heptathlon, 1st (6,402)
2000 - Heptathlon, 3rd (6,180)
NCAA Titles/All-America Honors
1992 - Heptathlon, 6th, 5,377
1993 - Heptathlon, 1st, 6,038
1994 - Heptathlon, 2nd, 5,877
Pac-10 Conference Titles (3)
1993 - Heptathlon, 5,989
1994 - Heptathlon, 5,527; Long Jump, 20-0 1/2
Oregon Top-10 Rankings
Heptathlon - 1st, 6,038, 1993 (#3 Pac-10)
100 Hurdles - 2nd, 13.74, 1994
High Jump - 3rd, 5-10 3/4, 1993
400 Hurdles - 4th, 58.75, 1993
Long Jump - 4th, 30-2 1/2, 1993
200 - 10th-t, 24.15, 1993
4x400 Relay - 3rd, 3:36.49, 1993
Blair's Coaching Highlights @ Seattle Pacific
Women's National Team Members
2005 Danielle Ayers-Stamper Heptathlon
Women's NCAA Champions (2)
2005 Danielle Ayers-Stamper (indoor) High Jump
2005 Chris Randolph Decathlon
Women's All-Americans (6)
2003 Danielle Ayers-Stamper, heptathlon, 2nd
2004 Danielle Ayers-Stamper, heptathlon, 4th
2005 Danielle Ayers-Stamper, heptathlon, 2nd
2005 Danielle Ayers-Stamper, 100 hurdles, 7th
2005 Kelsey Cooley, heptathlon, 8th
Women's Conference Champions (8)
2003 Danielle Ayers-Stamper, 100mH
2003 Dianna Grossglass, high jump
2003 Danielle Ayers-Stamper, long jump
2003 Danielle Ayers-Stamper, heptahtlon
2004 Linda Blake, heptathlon;
2005 Danielle Ayers-Stamper, 100H;
2005 Danielle Ayers-Stamper, high jump;
2005 Danielle Ayers-Stamper, long jump;
Women's GNAC Conference Record Holders
100m Hurdles - 13.70 Danielle Ayers-Stamper, Seattle Pacific, 2005
High Jump - 5-8 3/4 Danielle Ayers-Stamper, Seattle Pacific, 2005
Heptathlon - 5606 Danielle Ayers-Stamper, Seattle Pacific, 2005
Women's GNAC Conference Championships Record Holders
100 Hurdles - 13.82 Danielle Ayers-Stamper, Seattle Pacific, 2005
High Jump - 5-8 3/4 Danielle Ayers-Stamper, Seattle Pacific, 2005
Long Jump - 19-0 3/4 Danielle Ayers-Stamper, Seattle Pacific, 2005
Heptathlon - 5024 Danielle Ayers-Stamper, Seattle Pacific, 2004
Women's Team MVP (1)
2005 Danielle Ayers-Stamper
Academic All-Americans (2)
2004 Linda Blake
2005 Linda Blake
SPU Women's Top-5 Outdoor Lists
100H - 2nd, 13.70 Danielle Ayers-Stamper 2005
HJ - 4th, 5-10 Danielle Ayers-Stamper 2005
LJ - 4th, 19-6 1/4 Danielle Ayers-Stamper 2005
TJ - 5th, 36-6 3/4 Dianna Grossglass 2003
Hep. - 2nd, 5646 Danielle Ayers-Stamper 2005
SPU Women's Top-3 Indoor Lists
60m Hurdles - 1st, 8.66 Danielle Ayers-Stamper 2005
HJ - 2nd, 5-9 3/4 Danielle Ayers-Stamper 2005
LJ - 2nd, 19-5 1/2 Danielle Ayers-Stamper 2005
Pent. - 1st, 4007 Danielle Ayers-Stamper 2005
Women's NCAA Div II Outdoor Finishes
2003 16th 14 NCAA
2004 32nd 8 NCAA
2005 13th 20 NCAA
Women's NCAA Div II Indoor Finishes
Women's Place Pts Meet
2003 17th 9.5 NCAA
2005 8th 25 NCAA
GNAC Indoor Championships Women's Team Titles
2004 Seattle Pacific @ Nampa, Id.
2005 Seattle Pacific @ Nampa, Id.
Men's GNAC Conference Records
Decathlon 7309 Chris Randolph, Seattle Pacific, 2005
Men's All-Americans (2)
2004 Chris Randolph, decathlon, 3rd
2005 Chris Randolph, decathlon, 1st
Men's Conference Champions (4)
2004 Chris Randolph, long
2005 Chris Randolph, 400
2005 Chris Randolph, long
2005 Chris Randolph, high
SPU Men's Top-5 Outdoor Lists
PV - 3rd-t, 14-3 1/4 Chris Randolph 2005
Dec. - 2nd, 7309 Chris Randolph 2005
SPU Men's Top-3 Indoor Lists
400 Meters - 3rd, 49.99 Chris Randolph 2005
60 Hurdles - 1st, 8.50 Chris Randolph 2005
HJ - 3rd, 6-6 3/4 Chris Randolph 2004
PV - 1st, 14-3 1/4 Chris Randolph 2005
LJ - 1st, 22-6 1/2 Chris Randolph 2005
Pent. - 1st, 3145 Chris Randolph 2003
Hep. - 1st, 5141 Chris Randolph 2005
Men's Team MVPs (2)
2004 Chris Randolph, Dec.
2005 Chris Randolph, Dec.
Men's NCAA Div II Outdoor Finishes
2004 32nd 6 NCAA
2005 15th 15 NCAA
Q&A: Kelly Blair LaBounty - 11-16-05
Talk about your coaching career and how you became interested in this position.
KBL: “This is my fourth year at Seattle Pacific, and I’ve really enjoyed coaching. I kind of initially fell into it, and ended up loving it. I can’t think of a better place of going back to than Eugene. Matt (LaBounty, her husband) and I are both very exited to come back to the Duck community.”
Which events did you coach at Seattle Pacific, and which ones do you expect to coach at Oregon?
KBL: “At SPU, I coached the heptathlon, men’s and women’s hurdles, high jump and long jump, and also worked as a co-coach for the decathletes. At UO, I’m looking at primarily coaching the heptathletes and women’s hurdles, as of right now.”
Your role will also entail the title of Interim Director of Operations. What parts of that job interest you?
KBL: “I like being involved behind the scenes and coordinating various things that relate to the big picture. Track and field has such a great following in Eugene, and I love working with the alumni and community, so it’ll be a good fit. I plan on spending half my time as an administrator and half as a coach.”
What things have you enjoyed the most about coaching?
KBL: “It’s something I’ve quickly learned to love. I’m very passionate about track and field, and was fortunate to compete for quite a while. I never thought you could have that same feeling as a coach that you did as an athlete, but it’s possible. I love making a difference in student-athletes’ lives and seeing them progress.”
As a post-collegian, where did you train after your Duck career?
KBL: “I trained in Eugene for two years after I graduated in ’95 and ’96. I then moved back and trained in Seattle in ’97, ’98 and ’99, and then in Austin, Texas in 2000.”
What’s been your husband Matt’s reaction to the decision?
KBL: “He’s extremely excited to go back. He absolutely loves Oregon, and it’s a great place for him since he’s a big outdoorsman. We have a lot of friends in the community, so it should be a fairly smooth transition. He’s very supportive about the opportunity for our family and me.”
Did the 2008 Eugene Olympic Trials announcement make this opportunity more enticing?
KBL: “It definitely added to the excitement. There’s so much talk about it in the community, and it draws you in. The program is going in the right direction, so that’s a big pull.”
Talk about your rapport In the interview process with Vin (Lananna, Associate Athletic Director of Track and Field).
KBL: “I was very impressed with his vision and where he wants this program to go. The people you work with is a big deal to me, and the staff he’s put together are all incredibly talented. In our conversations, I felt really comfortable with him and that was also important. There’s going to be some pretty amazing things at UO, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Since you left Eugene, have you been able to keep track of the Duck track and field programs’ ascent?
KBL: “We’ve always followed UO, not just in track. The men’s program has been very successful for several years. There’s a lot of potential on the women’s side, too, so I hope I can help out there. It’ll take some time to build, but all the pieces are there, and I can’t wait to start.”