MONMOUTH, ILL. (01/19/2022) Former Monmouth College All-American Kenzie Baker has been hired as a full-time Fighting Scots track and field assistant coach. Baker, a native of Aledo, Illinois, graduated from Monmouth in May 2021 and stared with the Scots in December.
Baker was an All-American in 2021 and her 24.38 time in the preliminaries of the 200m at the NCAA National Championships was not only a career-best, but also ranks as the third fastest time in school history. She also has Monmouth's fourth-best time in the 100m with a 12.16 at the 2021 Meet of Champions.
Baker was the 2021 Midwest Conference Southern Division Track Performer of the Year after winning the 100m, 200m and 4x400 relay at the MWC Southern Division meet, leading the Scots to a team title. Baker won the 100m at four meets in 2021, the 200m at six meets and was part of four relay teams that won meets with two in the 4x100 and two in the 4x400.
A 2017 graduate of Mercer County High School, Baker was named an Academic All-American by the USTFCCCA in 2021. She won the Monmouth College Kim Mead Award, presented annually to a senior female who is an all-around student-athlete maintaining good academic standing, leadership and responsibility.
With the 2020 outdoor season and 2021 indoor season both canceled due to COVID-19, Baker didn't get a full four seasons of competition. She placed third in the 200m at the 2020 MWC Indoor Championships and ran on the 4x200 relay that won the event. Baker also won an indoor MWC title on the 4x200 relay team in 2019. Her top indoor times were 7.55 in the 55m and 7.94 in the 60m, the fourth-best time in school history.
Prior to joining the Scots track and field staff, Baker worked as personal trainer after graduating with a degree in Exercise Science. Coach Baker lives on a farm in Aledo with her boyfriend Austin, raising show pigs and Dachshunds as their favorite hobbies. The Scots begin their track and field season on Friday, Jan, 21 with a meet at Illinois College.