Hall of Fame
Kayla Fleming was an All-American high jumper who excelled in both indoor and outdoor track & field during her three-year career at Rhode Island College. She earned numerous All-Little East Conference (LEC), All-New England and All-ECAC honors in multiple events while at RIC, and received the LEC’s highest individual honor when she was named the 2009 LEC Woman of the Year.
Fleming qualified for the NCAA Division III Track & Field National Championships on four occasions, competing on the national stage twice during the indoor and outdoor campaigns. She would become the program’s first-ever All-American in the high jump in her final collegiate indoor meet, clearing 1.61 meter to tie for seventh at the 2009 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. She capped her collegiate career with a 12th-place (1.59m) finish at outdoor nationals.
The Pawtucket, Rhode Island native was named the LEC Field Athlete of the Year for both the 2009 indoor and outdoor seasons, making her just the second recipient of either award. She won the LEC high jump title in both seasons, clearing 1.60m to win the indoor title and a program-record 1.70 meters to secured the outdoor championship. She was the LEC runner-up (4.82m) in the long jump during the outdoor season after placing third (4.92m) at the indoor conference meet.
Fleming punched her ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in her first season at RIC as a sophomore, placing 14th (1.59m). She was the LEC indoor 1,000-meter indoor champion and went on win the LEC outdoor 800 (2:23.83) and high jump (1.65m) titles, while placing second in the outdoor long jump (5.13m) at third in the indoor high jump (1.54m).
As a junior, Fleming won the LEC indoor long jump (5.09m) title while placing second in the high jump (1.65m) and 1,000 (3:07.58), and was the LEC runner-up in the high jump (1.57m) and long jump (4.77m) at the conference outdoor championships. As a senior, Fleming won the LEC title in the 600 (1:41.79) and was second in the 1,000 (3:09.01) during the indoor season, and was the 800 champion (2:22.21) at the LEC Outdoor Championships.
Fleming still holds the program record in the high jump event for both the indoor (1.71m) and outdoor (1.70m) track & field programs, in addition to holding the indoor 1,000-meter (3:04.60) record. Her LEC record height of 1.65m still stands to this day.
As a member of the women’s soccer team, Fleming closed out her three-year career as a midfielder and defender having played in 61 games, starting 36 of them. She totaled five goals and six assists for 16 points.
Fleming earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Rhode Island College in 2009, and was inducted into the Rhode Island College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.