Amy Linnen

Induction Year: 2025

Location: Mt. Sinai

Category: Track and Field

Amy Linnen’s journey from Mt. Sinai High School to the global stage is a powerful story of overcoming challenges, breaking records, and leaving a lasting impact as a trailblazer in women’s sports. Amy was a multi-sport standout, competing in gymnastics, cross-country, and winter and spring track and field. But her most significant contribution came in 1998, when she advocated for and successfully petitioned Section XI to sanction girls’ pole vaulting. This pivotal moment marked the beginning of her legacy as a pioneer. This milestone, achieved during her junior year, remains one of her proudest accomplishments.

Amy quickly made an impact in track & field, not only locally but on the national scene. After only learning to pole vault in the spring season of her junior yea,r she won a state title 3 months later and set a state record. In her senior year, she set the national indoor high school record with a vault of 12 feet, 10 inches, earning recognition as the #1-ranked female pole vaulter in the nation and a Track and Field News All-American. She captured victories at the Penn Relays, the New York State Meet, and the National Scholastic Meet, cementing her status as a top-tier athlete. Her versatility extended to other events as well—she set school records and county records in the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, and 55-meter hurdles, and even qualified for the state gymnastics championships in the all-around.

Amy’s high school career culminated in a national championship win, clearing 13 feet ¼ inch, which qualified her for the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials—the first-ever Olympic Trials to include women’s pole vault. She was the only high school athlete in the nation to qualify and compete, a testament to her extraordinary talent and work ethic.

Her collegiate career was nothing short of historic. Competing for both the University of Arizona and the University of Kansas, Amy became a two-time NCAA Division I National Champion, a former NCAA Collegiate Record Holder, and a Junior World Record Holder. She earned titles as a Pac-10 Champion and Pac-10 Athlete of the Year, and later as a Big 12 Champion. In 2002, she was ranked #4 in the world in women’s pole vault. She was inducted into the University of Arizona Hall of Fame in 2009 and the University of Kansas Hall of Fame in 2011, and received the University of Kansas Woman of Distinction Award that same year.

Amy was named the 13th Best Athlete on Long Island by The Suffolk Times, a reflection of both her achievements and influence. Her athletic journey didn’t stop with track and field. She became a sponsored stand-up paddleboard racer, ocean lifeguard, Level 2 CrossFit instructor, yoga instructor, and ski instructor after winning first place in the Warren Miller Cup Ski Race at the Yellowstone Club in Montana. She showcased her wide-ranging athleticism on national television, competing in NBC’s American Ninja Warrior and Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge with Team Wonder Women.