University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Erin Kerkhoff medals in Para World Championship debut
7/17/2023 2:00:00 PM | Track and Field
Panther sprinter claims bronze medal in T13 200-meter dash with new career-best time.
PARIS --- UNI sprinter Erin Kerkhoff is returning to the United States with some hard earned hardware after a bronze medal finish at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in France.
The rising Panther senior, who is legally blind due to optic nerve atrophy, made her World Championship debut over the past nine days at Paris' Charlety Stadium, competing in the 100, 200 and 400-meter dashes in the T13 classification field. Kerkhoff was named to the U.S. Paralympic National Team back in May as one of 45 athletes to compete in France, after winning her respective races at the U.S. Paralympic National Championships in California.
Stepping onto the world stage for the first time since the Tokyo Paralympic Games in September 2021, Kerkhoff opened competition on July 9 with a season-best time of 12.81 seconds in the 100-meter dash, finishing third in her heat. She would later clock a 12.81 to take sixth place in the July 10 final.
In the 200 meters, Kerkhoff took second in the opening heat with a time of 26.02 seconds before a personal-best performance in the July 12 final in 25.58 seconds to take third place and earn her first World Championship medal.
"This is amazing! I just love having the flag in my hand. I feel so honored," said Kerkhoff after her bronze medal finish in the 200 meters. "I knew it was going to be a fight. We were sitting back there and I was just trying to go over my strategy, but I'm just so happy with the outcome."
Kerkhoff finished first in the opening heat of Sunday's 400-meter preliminary round with a time of 59.09 before scratching Monday's final.
Kerkhoff will now have the opportunity to qualify for the U.S. team for next summer's Paralympic Games, also scheduled to be held in Paris. The Solon, Iowa native made her Paralympic debut at the delayed Tokyo games in 2021, finishing eighth in the women's T13 400-meter dash.
During this past collegiate season, Kerkhoff set new career-bests in the indoor 60 meters (8.12) and indoor 400-meter dash (56.72), while also clocking a new career record in the outdoor 200-meter dash (25.69) for the Panthers. She notably took third place in the 200 meters at the Wartburg Outdoor Select, as well as second in the 400 meters at Augustana, and fourth at Simpson.
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