After tearing her ACL in her senior year of high school, Kelsie Belquist was not sure what her future running career would look like. A little over two years later, in her first hurdles race since high school, she recorded the second-fastest 400m hurdles time in Husker history, at the Spec Towns Invitational on April 10.
“It’s a really big blessing and I honestly didn’t expect it,” Belquist said. “It’s been a long two years, so getting to run it again and then to do so well was really special.”
The team captain committed to Nebraska in October of 2023. She was the 2022-23 Gatorade North Dakota Girls Track and Field Player of the Year, a 10-time North Dakota State Champion and a three-time top-20 finisher at the 2023 Nike Outdoor Nationals. However, in February of 2024, Belquist tore her ACL playing high school basketball.
“Right away, I was really upset and worried about the future,” Belquist said. “But two years later, I understand now and it’s allowed me to grow so much as an athlete and a person.”
In the months leading up to her freshman indoor season, Belquist worked with sprint coaches and Husker strength and conditioning trainers to get stronger. She competed during the indoor season of her freshman year, where she ran the 400m and the 4x400m. Belquist said she did not compete in hurdles that year because of the toll it takes on the body.
The process of working her way back to hurdles started in the fall of 2025.
Sprints coach Trent Edgerton said he could relate to Belquist because he also dealt with a major knee injury in high school.
“I understood the mental aspect of what it is like to come back and return to the sport, let alone return to the event,” Edgerton said. “So we just took it day by day until she was ready to return.”
The success Belquist had in her first hurdles race since the injury was a surprise to her. She finished second, behind first team All-American Michelle Smith of Georgia.
“That race was probably the most emotional I’ve ever had just crossing the finish line,” Belquist said. “Just being able to say I did that and I can do it a thousand more times now.”
The following day, she had a personal record of 52.41 in the open 400m race. This put her at No. 9 all-time and No. 3 in the Big Ten this year.
“For her to be in that mix and it really shows what she is capable of doing as we continue to move forward throughout the season,” Edgerton said. “I was really proud of her to be able to showcase it because I see it every day in training.”
The sophomore was named Big Ten Women’s Track Athlete of the week on April 15 because of her performance at the tournament.
Her comeback in the sport landed Belquist an NIL deal as a SheSports Athlete. SheSports is an app that promotes positive content for girls, powered by college and professional athletes. Belquist joined to help promote content about confidence, mental health, nutrition and training, as well as talking about the struggles of coming back from an injury.
“I get to tell my story to younger girls that are struggling,” Belquist said. “I’ve already answered so many questions about injury, so it’s been a big blessing to be able to help other people in ways that I didn’t get help.”
As far as the rest of the season goes, Belquist will continue to compete in hurdles, open 400m and the 4x400m.
“She’s somebody who’s going to continue to push herself in the top 10 list of school records,” Edgerton said. “She has a lot of goals and expectations for herself and she works really hard to reach those goals and will do great things.”