Join us for our interview of Jamestown Women’s wrestling coach Shauna (Isbell) Kemp.
Shauna (Isbell) Kemp is in her third season as head coach of the Jimmie women’s wrestling team.
In 2018-19, Kemp led the Jimmies to a first-place finish in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) tournament. Six wrestlers won their weight class, and none placed lower than fifth. Kemp was named KCAC Coach of the Year for her efforts.
Following the KCAC Championship, Kemp’s Jimmies finished third at the first NAIA National Women’s Wrestling Invitational. Four of her wrestlers earned All-American honors while six more were named honorable mention All-American.
Kemp was a member of the Team USA women’s wrestling team from 2012-13 and was the 2012 Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association national champion.
The Flagstaff, Ariz., native was also the 2009 USA Wrestling Girls Folkstyle national champion.
Kemp has competed all over the world, finishing second at the Junior Pan American Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil, second in the Hari Ram Grand Prix in New Deli, India and eigthh in the Pan American Games in Panama City, Panama.
She has also traveled to Canada, Spain and Ukraine competing for both Team USA and as a member of the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club.
In 2019, Kemp took fifth place at the US Open, competing in the event for the first time since 2014. Additionally, Kemp was one of four women to win gold medals at the Women’s Beach World Trials. She took the bronze medal at 60 kg in Beach Wrestling at the first-ever ANOC World Beach Games in Doha, Qatar, becoming the first American to medal in Beach Wrestling.
A graduate of Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., Kemp was a four-year national place winner at WCWA nationals, finishing second in 2010 and 2013 and third in 2011.
As a high school competitor at Coconino High School in Flagstaff, Kemp was a four-time girls state champion and became the first and only girl to place at 112 pounds at the boys high school state championship with a fourth place finish.
