Chloe Barnthouse Receives Wilma Rudolph Award

Murray State women's soccer student-athlete Chloe Barnthouse was named as a recipient of the 2025 Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award by the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A), it was announced on Wednesday.

The N4A Wilma Rudolph Student-Athlete Achievement Award honors student-athletes who have overcome great personal, academic, and/or emotional odds to achieve academic success while participating in intercollegiate athletics. These individuals have persevered and made significant personal strides toward success.

Barnthouse is the first Racer student-athlete to receive the national award.

"It is a tremendous honor to have been selected to receive this incredible award," Barnthouse said. "I am excited to be able to use this platform to share my story and hopefully impact the lives of other student-athletes around the country that are experiencing similar hardships."

Barnthouse' s journey has been filled with struggles, passion, and resilience, having faced several personal challenges, including her personal and mental health struggles, the loss of a loved one, and a devastating knee injury, leading to a year-long recovery. As she started to regain her form, she was hit with a new, life-altering diagnosis that left her questioning her future in soccer.

Despite the physical and emotional toll, she continued to persevere and embraced a new purpose centered around her health and well-being.

"We are so proud of Chloe for receiving this prestigious national honor that recognizes her perseverance and dedication to competitive excellence," Director of Athletic Nico Yantko said. "Chloe has been an exceptional student-athlete as a member of our soccer team, and she is extremely deserving to become the first Racer in school history to win this award."

Barnthouse will be honored at the N4A Convention in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, June 9.

About Wilma Rudolph
Despite being told as a child she would never walk again, Wilma Rudolph relentlessly pursued her dreams of becoming an international track and field star. At the height of her career, "the fastest woman in the world" used her platform to shed light on social issues. Rudolph competed in the 1956 Olympic Games and won a bronze medal in the 4x100 relay. Four years later, she headed to the 1960 Summer Olympics determined to earn gold. Her performance in Rome cemented her as one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century. She won three gold medals and broke several world records. Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at the same Olympic Games. The indoor track and dormitory at Tennessee State University are named in honor of Rudolph. She died of a brain tumor on November 12, 1994.

About N4A
N4A, which has been in existence since 1975, is a diverse educational service and professional non-profit organization. Membership of N4A includes academic support and student services personnel who are committed to enhancing opportunities for academic, athletics and personal success for student-athletes. For more information on N4A, visit www.nfoura.org. N4A is administered by NACDA, which is in its 60th year. For more information on NACDA and the 19 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit www.nacda.com.

Murray State University

Players Mentioned

Chloe Barnthouse

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