A graduate of Prosser High School, Kelly Blair-LaBounty was a three-sport standout who was declared “arguably the best schoolgirl athlete ever in the state” by the Seattle Times. She earned all-league honors in volleyball, was a three-time all-league and two-time all-state basketball player, captured basketball state tournament MVP honors while leading her team to a state championship, and won 10 individual state track titles.

Although basketball was her first love, track emerged as her strongest sport. Heavily recruited for her basketball skills, Kelly chose to attend the University of Oregon, where she competed in both basketball and track. After earning two varsity letters on the court, she shifted her focus entirely to track, a decision that proved highly rewarding.

At Oregon, Kelly became Pac-10 and NCAA champion in the heptathlon. She was named a two-time NCAA All-American, one of NCAA’s Top Eight athletes, and became the second woman ever to win consecutive Pac-10 heptathlon titles. Her performance placed her sixth all-time on the U.S. collegiate performers chart. Kelly later represented the United States on the 1996 and 2000 Olympic teams in the heptathlon. A highlight of her career came in 1996 when she won the U.S. Olympic Trials in the heptathlon at age 25, edging out Jackie Joyner-Kersee by three points and becoming the first woman to defeat her in the event in 12 years.