Kristi Klinnert made her mark on the early years of the NAU women's distance program, winning 12 individual Big Sky Championships and earning three All-American honors. The 1991 calendar year was a banner one for her, which she started by sweeping the 3K and 5K individual indoor conference titles for the second consecutive year. Klinnert proceeded by winning both the 5K and 10K titles at the Big Sky Outdoor Track & Field Championships – again for the second consecutive year – before capping 1991 with a 26th place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Finishing as the Lumberjacks' second runner and earning All-American honors, Klinnert helped lead NAU to a third-place team finish, which still ranks as the program's best finish and only podium spot. Klinnert is the only women's runner in Big Sky Conference history to win four outdoor 10K championships and was the first women's runner to be a double champion in both the indoor 3K and 5K. Klinnert's two other career All-American honors came in the 10K in 1991 (sixth) and 1993 (seventh). While still at NAU, Klinnert – the Lumberjacks' all-time record holder in the 10K – qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1992 in the event. After graduating, Klinnert turned her attention to the marathon and earned the bronze medal at the 1995 World University Games in Japan.