WICHITA – Wichita State 23rd-year head coach Steve Rainbolt announced the addition of Aliyah Welter to his coaching staff Monday afternoon. Welter, a five-time All-American in the pole vault, will take over the Shocker pole vault program in August.
 
"I have had particularly strong references from around the world of track and field about Aliyah Welter's character, integrity, leadership skills and coaching acumen for a young coach," Rainbolt said. "I'm super excited about the energy that she is going to bring to our coaching staff and to our program, especially in the pole vault event."
 
Welter succeeds Pat Wilson, who coached the Shocker pole vaulters for 17 years. Wilson stepped away from coaching in 2023 due to health issues while former Shocker Tyler Knight led the event group for a season.
 
"This has been a challenging time for Coach Wilson, our staff and the team as Pat is battling some challenging health issues," Rainbolt said. "I personally can't say enough about my strong feelings about Coach Pat and all he has meant to Wichita State track and field these past 17 years. I think of him and pray for him daily and really value the impact that Pat has had on so many athletes, our team and our program. I'm also confident that this transition will be good and positive and that we picked a great person in Aliyah Welter to make it."
 
Welter, a native of Monticello, Ill., competed for Louisville from 2018-23, concluding her career June 8 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas, where she recorded her highest outdoor championship finish of her career, placing 12^th in the pole vault. She has competed in six NCAA championship meets, earning second team All-America recognition indoor and outdoor in 2021 and 2023, and qualified to the 2022 USATF Championships in the pole vault.
 
At Louisville, Welter was coached by former Shocker and Wichita State outdoor pole vault record holder, Brooke (Demo) Rasnick for four seasons.
 
"Aliyah Welter is one of the most impressive athletes I've coached," Rasnick said. "I could write a book about all the ways she has blown me away the past five years. She's a person that makes everyone around her better as she pursues excellence. Her discipline, knowledge, leadership ability and class will help her hit the ground running as a college coach. She's a high-level achiever in everything she takes on, and coaching at this level will be no different. I couldn't be more excited for my alma mater to add her its top-notch staff."
 
During her time as a student-athlete, Welter worked as an assistant track and field coach at Trinity High School, coaching the pole vault group in 2022. Like many pole vaulters and pole vault coaches, she brings a gymnastics background to the event having competed as a Level 10 gymnast prior to her collegiate career.
 
Welter holds the sixth-best indoor and seventh-best outdoor marks in Cardinal history as a seven-time All-ACC performer in the pole vault. She has also been named to the All-ACC Academic Team five times and the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team twice.
 
"I really believe that Aliyah's perspective as an elite pole vaulter is going to create an energy that our athletes are going to really benefit from," Rainbolt said.

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Athletic Accomplishments
4x All-American – Pole Vault – Indoor Second Team: 2021, 23; Outdoor Second Team 2021, 23
Honorable Mention All-America – Outdoor Pole Vault – 2022
7x All-ACC – Pole Vault – Indoor First Team: 2021, 23; Outdoor First Team: 2022,23; Indoor Second Team: 2020, 22; Outdoor Second Team: 2021
5x All-ACC Academic Team
2x All-Academic Team