An All-American and former Junior National record holder, Karen Phillips ranked among the nation's top collegiate jumpers during the late 80s and early 90s.
As a freshman, Phillips collected All-America honors at the 1989 Outdoor NCAA Championships in the triple jump, and later won the TAC Junior National Championship in the event with a meet record leap of 41-10 1/2. Her accomplishments earned her a spot on the US Junior National Team, where she won the triple jump at the 1989 World Games. Later that summer, she also represented the United States at the Pan Am Games.
She continued to shine throughout her Boston University career, and qualified for three additional NCAA Championships. She competed in the triple jump at the 1993 Outdoor Championship, as well as the 1992 and 1991 Indoor National Meets.
On the regional level, she captured a staggering 17 individual titles at the America East, Greater Boston and New England Championships. Among her titles were nine at the Indoor and Outdoor Conference Championships, where she holds the existing records in the indoor long jump (19-5 1/2) and triple jump (40-7 1/2), as well as the outdoor triple jump (41-1 3/4).
In 1992, she received the Mildred Barnes Award, presented annually to the University's Outstanding Female Athlete.
A 1992 graduate of the University's School of Management, Phillips held the University marks in the indoor long (19-10 3/4) and triple jumps (41-9 3/4), the outdoor triple jump (41-10 1/2) and ran a leg on the school record indoor 4X200M relay (1:39.95) at the time of her induction.
Following graduation, she served as an assistant coach of the track and field program, and oversaw the team's progress in the jumps and sprints.
