In Focus: Bouyer Is Happy To Be Home
January 29, 2016 | General, Track & Field
By Mason Kelley
GoHuskies.com
When Kennadi Bouyer graduated from high school, she was one of the top track athletes in Washington.
The Curtis High School (University Place, Wash.) graduate won five state championships, including the Class 4A 100 and 200 meters in 2012 and '13.
After developing into an elite athlete at the local level, Bouyer was ready for a change. She wanted an opportunity to test her talent in a new environment. She headed south. At 17 years old, she was on her way to Oxford, Miss. She was moving on to a college career in the SEC at Ole Miss.
“I was excited,” Bouyer said. “I wanted to get faster. I really wanted to compete in the SEC.”
The teenager wanted a new adventure. However, things didn't go according to plan. She enjoyed her time at the school. She loved the campus. But the track season, well, that didn't work out the way she wanted.
“It was a really eye-opening experience, really scary,” she said.
At the end of her freshman year, she decided to come home. She transferred to Washington. She restarted her career.
“It's way better being home,” Bouyer said. “It's so cool. I go home on the weekends. I go get dinner. I get my laundry done. That helps with track, just being close to home.”
Now her parents, Sabrina and Bruce, get to watch her compete. The oldest of three children, she gets to sprint in front of her siblings, Bryce and Jenna. Bouyer is finding the success she expected as a freshman, but she needed a change of scenery to get there.
When she first got to Washington, Bouyer admitted she “was a mess.”
“I lost my speed,” she said. “I had to get better.”
The first step in regaining her form was to convince herself of a simple message: “You can be fast.”
From there, she went to work.
“I just had to get my confidence back,” she said. “I just started feeling like I wasn't one of those people who were fast. I didn't feel fast. I didn't think I was special. I had to get my mind right.”
She convinced herself the proper training regimen would sharpen her body and mind. She was one of Washington's top sprinters last year, running the second leg on Washington's 4x100-meter relay team, which broke the school record at the Pac-12 Championships.
She also set a career best in the long jump at the meet, hitting 19 feet, 11 ¾ inches to finish fifth. It was the first time since 2007 the Huskies had a track athlete finish in the top eight in the women's long jump.
She took her training to a new level this fall, looking to build on last season's success.
“This is the hardest fall training I've ever had in my life,” she said. “Coach (Eric) Metcalf tried to kill me. Every day you would see me laying right there (in the Dempsey Indoor) at the finish line, dead."
One race into the indoor track season, her dedication has paid off. At the UW Indoor Preview she set a PR in the 60 meters, dropping her time from 7.45 to 7.35 seconds and just missing the school record (7.34). Her time currently ranks her No. 13 in the nation – the top 16 qualify for NCAA Indoors.
It's a strong start for Bouyer, but she plans to drop her time even more as the season progresses. Her next opportunity comes this weekend when Washington hosts the UW Invitational.
“I just want to do the best I can,” she said. “I lost a year. This year I feel like I'm doing what I should have done as a freshman. That first meet last week, I should have done that already, but I had to work to do it.”
When asked if she considers herself more of a sprinter or a long jumper, Bouyer said each event helps the other.
“I think they work together really well,” she said. “If my speed is down, my jumping is bad. Jumping keeps me quick. I'm a jumper-sprinter. People say I'm going to have to choose. Maybe eventually, but I don't want to yet.”
After a freshman false start at Ole Miss, Bouyer is back home. She is happy. She is comfortable. And she is hitting her stride on the track. But, while she didn't take the predictable path to Washington, she believes her journey was necessary to get her to this point.
“I learned a lot (at Ole Miss),” She said. “I love it there. I loved the school. Being away from home, I grew up. I wouldn't take it back.”
