Saxer excelled in her youth, breaking the North, Central American and Caribbean junior record for the event with in 2005 as a high school student. She did not improve on this mark while competing collegiately for the University of Notre Dame, although she did win three Big East Conference titles and was third at the 2009 NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship. She finally bettered her mark at the 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where she was third in her first national podium finish.