Linn-Mar Girls Track

Linn-Mar - Girls Track

Stephanie Jenks will run for Cal Bears

Thu - 22 Oct Written by Jim Ecker

Stephanie Jenks could have accepted a college scholarship from just about any of the elite track and cross country programs in the country, but she decided to pick a school where she can help the team improve and get a great education.

Jenks, a senior at Linn-Mar High School, said Thursday that she's accepted a full athletic scholarship from the University of California at Berkeley to become a distance runner for the Golden Bears.

She called Shayla Houlihan, the distance coach at Cal, with the good news Thursday afternoon after going for a run after school.

"I'm excited. My heart is racing!," Jenks said while attending the district cross country meet at Seminole Valley Park in Cedar Rapids, about 30 minutes after calling Houlihan.

"I don't want to go to a college that is already good," she explained. "I want to go to a college where I am not going to be No. 1 and where I'm going to go in and contribute to a team in some way, shape or form and eventually get up there. I want to help other people get up there.

"I think in a couple of years, especially with Shayla's workouts and everything else they have going on, it's going to work out well."

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Last Updated on Thursday, 22 October 2015 18:09

Amber Decker will run for Hawkeyes

Tue - 06 Oct Written by Metro Sports Report

Linn-Mar senior Amber Decker plans to continue her running career at the University of Iowa, The Gazette reported on its website Monday night.

Decker helped Linn-Mar place second at the Class 4A state track meet last May as a junior.

Decker and the Lions won the 4x800 and distance medley relays and finished second in the 4x400 relay. In addition, Decker placed fifth in the 800-meter run.

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Linn-Mar - Girls Track

Jenks featured in Running Times

Fri - 21 Aug Written by Metro Sports Report

Stephanie Jenks is a cover girl.

The distance star from Linn-Mar High School is featured in the new edition of Running Times, a magazine devoted to running and everything that goes with it.

Jenks is pictured on the cover of the magazine and is the subject of a two-page article, complete with four more pictures and her training log for a typical week.

The title of the article is "A Balanced Approach," and explains how Jenks used the triathlon to help further her running career. Jenks won the silver medal in the triathlon at the Junior Olympics in China last summer, but she's put the triathlon aside to focus on running.

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Last Updated on Friday, 21 August 2015 20:01

Jenks named Gatorade Athlete of Year

Mon - 22 Jun Written by Metro Sports Report

Stephanie Jenks of Linn-Mar has been honored as the Gatorade Iowa Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year for the second time in her prep career.

Jenks, an outstanding distance runner, also was honored by Gatorade when she was a freshman during the 2012-13 school year. She will be a senior at Linn-Mar this year.

The award recognizes athletic excellence, academic achievement and character.

Jenks, 5-foot-5, captured the 800, 1500 and 3000 meter runs at the 2015 Drake Relays and won all three events at the Class 4A state meet, helping Linn-Mar finish second in the team standings.

Jenks has maintained a 4.0 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society. She has volunteered on behalf of Habitat for Humanity, won the silver medal in the triathlon at the Junior Olympics in China last summer and is a second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

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Last Updated on Monday, 22 June 2015 10:15