Aliyah Fertig (formerly Welter) joined head coach Steve Rainbolt's staff at Wichita State in 2023 as an assistant coach in charge of pole vault.
As a student-athlete at Louisville from 2018-23, Fertig was a five-time All-American in the pole vault. She 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, Fertig was coached by former Shocker and Wichita State outdoor pole vault record holder, Brooke Rasnick (formerly Demo) for four seasons.
During her time as a student-athlete, Fertig 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.
Fertig 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.
Fertig graduated from Louisville with a bachelor of science in exercise science and sport administration in 2022 and will complete her master of business administration degree in 2024.
Athletic Accomplishments
5x All-American – Pole Vault – Indoor Second Team: 2021, 23; Outdoor Second Team 2021, 23
7x All-ACC – Pole Vault – Indoor First Team: 2021, 23; Outdoor First Team: 2022,23; Indoor Second Team: 2020, 2022; Outdoor Second Team: 2021
5x All-ACC Academic Team
2x All-Academic Team
