Matt Levins - The Hawk Eye / Photo credits -John Gaines Photography
Katy Stephens admittedly wasn’t feeling the greatest this past weekend.
The University of Northern Iowa junior has been dealing with a tender hamstring and is still battling the after effects of pneumonia and bronchitis from December.
But the Notre Dame High School graduate didn’t let that deter her from successfully defending her Missouri Valley Conference pentathlon championship at Gately Park in Chicago.
Stephens set a personal best in the pentathlon with 3,859 points.
In the process Stephens also set PRs in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.82 seconds, high jump, clearing 1.76 meters and long jump, soaring 5.68 meters.
Stephens finished second in the hurdles, first in the high jump, first in the shot put (10.92 meters), second in the long jump and 12th in the 800 (2:34.32).
And she did it all while feeling under the weather.
“It was a good weekend. I wasn’t feeling the best, but it’s exciting to get an overall multis PR,” Stephens said. “I haven’t been feeling well and my hamstring has been bothering me, so I wasn’t really sure what would happen.”
Stephens, who won last year’s pentathlon with 3,692 points, has struggled this season.
“I’ve been struggling with pneumonia and bronchitis that I caught back in December,” Stephens said. “Then I tweaked my hamstring. I was super happy just to be back into it for the conference meet.”
Stephens finished third in the pentathlon at the Nebraska indoor meet with 3,755 points, which was a PR until the conference meet.
Stephens said she plans to redshirt the outdoor season, but hopes to compete unattached at several meet.
“I’m waiting for the schedule to come out. Then I’ll sit down with my coach and decide which meets I want to compete in and in what events,” Stephens said. “I’m pretty sure I’ll do the heptathlon at Iowa and the Drake Relays.”
Stephens said the plan is to redshirt the 2025-26 indoor season, then come back for a full fifth year in 2026-27.
“After that I’m going to physical training school,” Stephens said. “I’m really excited to be a physical therapist. I’ve always thought it would be super cool to help people, especially with everything I’ve been through.