COLLEGIATE PERSONAL BESTS: SP – 59-0.75 (18.00m)*, DT – 174-00 (53.04m), WT – 53-11.75 (16.45m)
*denotes school record
CAREER RECORDS, AWARDS, AND NOTES
RECORDS:
1x Penn State school record holder
- Outdoor shot put (59-0.75, 18.00m)
No. 2 in school history in the discus throw (174-0, 53.04m)
No. 3 in school history in the indoor shot put (56-4.75, 17.19m)
AWARDS:
1x First Team All-American (‘23 outdoor shot put)
1x Second Team All-American (‘22 indoor shot put)
1x Second Team All-Big Ten (’24 indoor shot put)
2x Mid-Atlantic Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year (‘23 outdoor, ‘22 indoor)
3x Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (’24, ‘23, ‘22)
4x Academic All-Big Ten (’24, ‘23, ‘22, ‘21)
3x USTFCCCA All-Academic team (’24, ’23, ’22)
NOTES: 3x NCAA Championship qualifier (2x outdoor, 1x indoor)…Is just the second Nittany Lion female to earn First Team All-America honors in the outdoor shot put and became the first to do so since 1984…Is the only woman in Penn State history ever to throw 18+ meters in the outdoor shot put…Following one of the best women’s shot put careers in school history, Kauffman announced her retirement from competitive track & field after her outing at the 2024 Big Ten Outdoor Championships due to injury.
2024 Outdoor
Season: Competed in four meets for the Nittany Lions…Concluded her competitive career with a tenth-place finish at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships.
UCF Knights Invite (3/22-23): Won the shot put competition with a 55-5.5 (16.90m) toss…Finished third in the discus throw with a 173-9 (52.97m) effort. Hurricane Alumni Invitational (4/5-6): Posted a season-best 55-9.25 (17.00m) throw in the shot put competition to finish second overall. Big Ten Outdoor Championships (5/10-12): Finished tenth in the conference with a 52-2 (15.90m) throw.
2024 Indoor
Season: Finished second in the Big Ten in the shot put, her highest-ever conference finish…Claimed top-two results in five of her six shot put competitions.
Bison Opener (12/1-2/2023): Won the season-opening shot put competition with a 53-9.25 (16.39m) effort. Big Ten Indoor Championships (2/23-24): Recorded a season-best 17.00-meter heave to take second in the conference in the shot put…Helped the women’s team to a second-place finish as a team.
2023 Outdoor
Season: Capped off outdoor season with a sixth-place finish in the shot put at the NCAA Championships, smashing the school record with an 18-meter put…Was named Big Ten Women’s Track & Field Athlete of the Week following the Bison Opener (12/2-3).
Penn Challenge (3/18): Won both shot and discus competition…Set season-best discus mark with 172-8 (52.64m) throw. LSU Lloyd Willis Invitational (4/8): Threw 56-2 (17.12m) in the shot put, winning the competition. Big Ten Outdoor Championships (5/12-14): Posted a season-best 56-4.75 (17.19m) for fifth in the Big Ten conference in the shot put…Finished eighth in the conference in the discus throw with a 164-8 (50.20m) effort. NCAA East Prelims (5/25-27): Placed fifth in the shot put, qualifying for the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive season. NCAA Outdoor Championships (6/7-10): Broke the school record three times in her shot put series, finishing her outing as the first woman in school history to hit 18 meters in the event, marking an 59-0.75 (18.00m) throw for a sixth-place finish, giving her First Team All-America honors.
2023 Indoor
Season: Finished top-five in all seven shot put competitions she entered in…Her 56-4 (17.17m) effort ranked 22nd in all of Division I.
Bison Opener (12/2-3): Posted a 56-4 (17.17m) throw in the shot put, her top time of the season…Big Ten Indoor Championships (2/24-25): Threw 56-1.25 (17.10m) to finish in fourth place in the conference.
2022 Outdoor
Season: Earned 2022 USTFCCA All-America honorable mention in shot put after top-20 finish at NCAA Outdoor Championships...Placed 11th in shot put at NCAA East Prelims and 5th at Big Ten Championships...Set personal best in discus (53.04) to place eighth at Big Ten Championships.
Bison Outdoor Classic (4/14-16): Won both the shot put and discus events. Virginia Challenge (4/22-23): Topped 17m in shot put and won discus throw. Big Ten Championships (5/13-15): Placed 5th in shot put and eighth in discuss behind personal best 53.04m throw. NCAA East Prelims (5/25-28): Qualified for NCAA Championships with 11th-place shot put finish. NCAA Championships (6/8-11): Earned All-America honors with 19th-place finish in shot put.
2022 Indoor
Season: Earned USTFCCCA Second-Team All-America honors with 10th-place shot put placing at NCAA Indoor Championships...Earned ninth-place finish at Big Ten Indoor championships...Won three regular-season shot put events...Set personal best shot put and weight throw marks.
Bison Opener (12/3-4/21): Earned first collegiate event win in shot put...Set weight throw PR at 16.45m. Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge (2/4-5): Took first in shot put. Penn State Tune Up (2/18): Topped 17m for first time on personal-best throw of 17.19m to win shot put. Big Ten Indoor Championships (2/25-26): Placed ninth in shot put. NCAA Indoor Championships (3/11-12): Named second-team All-American after 10th place finish on 16.95m throw.
2021 Outdoor
Jesse Owens Invitational (4/30-5/1): Placed third in the shot put with a personal best 16.33m throw and placed eighth in the discus throw. Big Ten Outdoor Championships (5/14-16/21): Placed 17th in the shot put with a 14.88m throw. NCAA East Prelims (5/26-29/21) - Qualified in the shot put.
2021 Indoor
Season: Placed third in the shot put at all three of her regular-season meets.
Big Ten Indoor Championships (2/25-27/21): Recorded career best 16.13m toss in the weight throw. Placed 14th in the shot put.
2020 Outdoor – Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.
2020 Indoor
Season: Set a pair of collegiate-personal bests in shot put and weight throw...Posted three top-five finishes.
Nittany Lion Challenge (1/11): Placed second in shot put event (14.66m)...Set a personal-best mark in weight throw with a throw of 15.83m. Sykes & Sabock Challenge (2/8): Placed third in shot put event with a personal-best mark of 15.01m. Big Ten Indoor Championships (2/28-29/20): Placed 14th in first Big Ten Championships with a best throw of 14.71m.
BEFORE PENN STATE
HIGH SCHOOL PRs: Discus - 160-8, Shot put - 48-3.75
Lettered four years in track and field and three years in basketball at Greenwood High School…Won three district championships in shot put and discus…Captured 2019 state championships in shot put and discus…Named PIAA first team All-State in shot put and discus...Was a member of the National Honor Society
PERSONAL
Daughter of Bryan and Darla…Has two siblings, Morgan and Mitchell…Mom, Darla, and sister, Morgan, attended Penn State...Chose Penn State because, “I loved the campus, the coaches, the facilities, and the overall family feel of the team”...Graduated from Penn State in 2024 with a degree in elementary & early childhood education...Born in Pennsylvania.