Kaylene Walter (Wagner)

Kaylene Walter (Wagner) has reached heights that very few athletes have in their careers, both literally and figuratively.  Wagner became a standout high jumper while attending Dos Pueblos High School from 1998-2002. As a member of the Chargers track and field team, Wagner set a personal best and Dos Pueblos record by becoming the first Charger to clear 6’ in the high jump.  In 2002, she placed second in the California State Meet with a clearance of 5’11”.

While her high school accomplishments were fantastic, Wagner was just getting started in her career. She attended Cal Poly where she continued to ascend in the track and field world, gaining national attention for her incredible leaping ability. Wagner competed at Cal Poly from 2002-2005 and broke a school record that had stood for 22 years when she cleared a height of 6’ 3.5” in the high jump. Wagner was the Big West Conference High Jump champion in 2004. To this day, Wagner remains one of just two female athletes to have cleared that mark in Cal Poly’s track and field history.

Wagner wouldn’t stop there though as she continued to excel in her field. She transferred to Kansas State University and after sitting out one year due to transfer rules, she picked up right where she left off. Wagner set a Kansas State outdoor high jump record when she became the first female high jumper at Kansas State to clear 6’ with a jump of 6’ 1.5”. Over the course of her collegiate career, Wagner was a seven-time NCAA Division I All-American.

While Wagner was breaking records on the intercollegiate level, she was also pursuing greatness on the international level with an eye on Olympic competition. Among her many accomplishments were a fifth place finish at the 2004 Olympic trials and a seventh place finish at the 2005 USA Outdoor Championships. She also qualified to compete at the 2008 Olympic Trials.

Wagner currently works as a massage therapist at The Lab in Santa Barbara and lives in Goleta with her husband Tim and daughter Brinley.