Linfield University Athletics

Kerrie (O’Sullivan) DuFour, from the class of 1998, holds the distinction of being the first female student-athlete at Linfield to be crowned a national champion in any sport.

The bigger the meet, the bigger O’Sullivan’s performance. A four-year letterwinner in track and field, O’Sullivan surprised everyone but herself by capturing the NAIA indoor high jump national championship in February, 1996, at Lincoln, Neb.

“Kerrie was a tremendous jumper with a lot of talent,” said her college coach, Dr. Garry Killgore. “And she was a very good competitor.”

Trailing in the number of missed attempts at the national meet and the championship on the line, O’Sullivan came through with a big-meet performance, soaring 5 feet, 7 ¼ inches to claim the title.

Her championship-clinching mark remains the second-best high jump mark in program history.

As a senior in 1998, she placed fourth at the NAIA Indoor Championships in Lincoln, Neb., and was runner-up at the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Tulsa, Okla. In all, O’Sullivan was a five-time NAIA All-American in the high jump as well as an Academic All-American. She won consecutive NWC titles in the high jump.

She was member of Linfield’s most recent women’s Northwest Conference championship track and field team.