'I never saw it coming': Natalie Kiefer is writing her own chapter in Harrison's record book

Natalie Kiefer has a habit of getting sick after finishing her races. You can't blame her. She just runs that hard.

Her family, coaches and teammates will never get sick of seeing her cross the finish line in first place.

She also likes to sit down and re-run her race in her head, taking mental notes on possible improvements. It's hard to think about much when you're running as fast as Kiefer does.

The Harrison senior, committed to Eastern Kentucky University, is amid a historic final season. She owns every school record from 400 meters to 3,200 meters and has either set a new record or broken her own in every one of her individual races this season.

"I never saw it coming but I'm very happy with how it's sorted out," Kiefer said.

A steady rise in the rankings for Harrison's Natalie Kiefer

Kiefer began her high school career as a soccer player, competing for Harrison and the club level. When the Wildcats' coaching staff noticed her mile time during conditioning, they recommended she run track in the spring.

She qualified for the district meet in the mile as a freshman, but when she showed promise in the 800 meters as a sophomore, head coach Scott Menze and distance coach John Motsinger decided to hone in on the two-lap race. The change resulted in a regional appearance in 2022, an 11th-place finish at state as a junior, and her first school record at the distance (2:14.81 on May 26, 2023).

Kiefer continued to dabble in the 400, 1,600 and 3,200, running at least one race at each distance as a junior. While she continues to take part in relays, she has taken a smarter approach to her individual events this season. She has only run five individual races to date, a much lower frequency of competition than in years past.

"It's not necessarily always going to be a pattern. Part of it is we see who's going to be competing in a meet and we make educated guesses about which competitors we'll see where," Motsinger said.

If there is a pattern, it's one that establishes an endurance base before refining speed. Kiefer set the 3,200-meter school record in her first outing of the season. She already owned two individual records but went for the two-mile record simply because she wanted it. Kiefer followed that up with a 400-meter school record on March 27 before breaking it again on April 26. She also broke her own 1,600-meter school record on April 6.

When it comes to the 800, her signature event, her list of recent accomplishments includes a 2024 indoor state championship in a state-meet-record time of 2:10.83. Her solo effort on April 6 at Anderson resulted in an outdoor personal best of 2:10.95. That is the best time in the state this year and the fifth-best time in city history. Indian Hill's Elizabeth Whaley holds the top spot at 2:08.82.

In Keifer's eyes, breaking school records means she is lowering her personal bests. The times on the clock keep her focused since she knows she has at least four years of competitive running left.

"I'm really proud of the way she's approached the season. Her attitude has been exactly what you would want from an athlete," Menze said.

What's different about Natalie Kiefer's senior year?

Besides spreading out her races, Kiefer also enlisted the help of a nutritionist. The broken records this year are the result of an increase in carbohydrates, protein and natural sugars. Her favorite race day snack is pretzels.

She is committed to her individual races but still takes part in relays for several reasons. In a recent meet at Ross, she ran in the 4x800 meter relay with two sophomores and a freshman. Kiefer sees how her younger teammates can get nervous before a race and tries to be a calming presence.

She also gets to chase down other runners, something she doesn't often do in her open events.

"I like anchoring because I like having that person in front of me to run after. It makes me very angry and then I like to take my anger out on the race," Kiefer said.

Brittany Wilson won the shot put state title in 2009, but a Harrison girl has never won a gold medal on the track. Kiefer owns an indoor title. Now she wants the outdoor hardware.

Kiefer has a limited number of races left before her high school career is over. Don't blink or you might miss her. Most importantly, don't let her results surprise you.

"She's the first athlete we've ever coached where I don't want to say what her goals are out loud because people will think I'm crazy," Motsinger said.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'I never saw it coming': Natalie Kiefer is writing her own chapter in Harrison's record book