Hall of Fame
Kerry Knepper came to Truman from Cascade (Iowa) High School. In her first season, she finished first in two cross-country meets and was in the top 10 five times. At the Great Lakes regional race, Knepper claimed second-place and earned her first trip to the NCAA Division II championships where she finished 45th. In 1987, she was the top finisher in all six cross-country races and finished second overall at the MIAA meet. Knepper was first in the regional race to again qualify for nationals where she improved with a 19th-place finish and earned her first all-America honors. In 1988, she charted with the highest national finish in school history with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA championships. Knepper sat out the 1989 cross-country campaign while battling anemia. She completed her career in 1990, finishing third at the regional meet and a 28th-place finish in the 5K DII championship race (17:56.1), despite a torn hamstring. On the indoor track in 1987, Knepper earned her first MIAA championship by winning the mile (5:06.8). She qualified for her first NCAA indoor track championship as a sophomore, finishing seventh in the 3,000-meters. Knepper again qualified for nationals in the 3,000 as a junior, improving her finish to fourth and earning all-America accolades. The team repeated as champions in 1990, as Knepper won the mile and the 3,000-meters. She is still the Truman standard-bearer in the 3,000-meters (9:52.84), mile (4:58.07) and two mile (11:05.98), as well as the 4x800 (9:21.89) and the two-mile (9:24.09) relays. Knepper's highest national finish was third in the 3,000-meters, which also garnered her all-America status as a senior. As a senior on the outdoor track, she claimed MIAA championships in the 3,000-, 5,000- and 10,000-meters. Knepper finished second in the 10K at the DII outdoor track championships, and advanced to the NCAA Division I championships where she charted a 10th-place finish. Knepper owns the outdoor Bulldog standards in the 1,500- (4:36.54), 3,000-(9:49.21), 5,000- (16:49.44) and 10,000-meters (34:28.6). She graduated from Truman in December of 1991. Kerry is married to Paul Knepper and they have a son, Paulie, who is 6-years-old.
