Kayla Kelifgen (Bowlin) enters her seventh year with Northern Kentucky, now serving as the Associate Women's Basketball Head Coach for the Norse. She additionally helps directs recruiting, works with point guards and serves as the academic liaison for NKU women's basketball.
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Kelifgen comes to NKU after a one-year stint at Kentucky where she served as the team's staff support associate alongside Whitaker. While there, she assisted the Wildcats staff with daily operations in the office, and assisted with basketball camps at Kentucky, Lipscomb and The Next Level Basketball Camp.
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She received her bachelor's degree in biology from Eckerd College, where she was a four-year player for the Tritons' basketball team. She was a two-time recipient of the Triton Award and was a member of Eckerd's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
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As a player, Kelifgen tied Eckerd's career mark by participating in 110 games over her career. She ranks second on the Tritons' all-time list in assists (406), sixth in made free throws (267), 12th in free-throw percentage (.740), 14th in three-pointers made (67), 15th in three-point percentage (.310), 16th in steals (118) and 18th in points (765). She is just the third player in Eckerd history with over 700 points and 400 assists after helping lead the Tritons to their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2015.
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A Monticello, Kentucky, native, she is currently pursuing her master's degree in kinesiology and health promotions with a specialization in sports leadership from Kentucky.
She married Travis Kleifgen in September 2019 and the couple welcomed Ryleigh Kleifgen in February 2022.
