UMD Cross Country Leaning on Leadership in 2024 Season
Head Coach Brette Jensen to take maternity leave
DULUTH, Minn.- Leadership is expected to play a major role in the UMD cross country team’s 2024 season.
Brette Jensen is entering her third season as the Bulldogs’ head coach. However, she will soon step away from the team as part of her maternity leave, leaving it up to assistant coach Drew Palmer and her team captains to step up in her absence.
“I have such a great group of kids who have really kind of taken over a good leadership role,” says Jensen, who joined the UMD coaching staff in 2021. “My kids have been phenomenal (and have) taken a step forward.”
“Brette and (Track/Field and Cross Country Director Karly Brautigam) as well, they’ve set me up well,” says Palmer, who ran collegiately at Macalester College. “They’ve given me a lot of checklists to follow. I’m excited to take a crack at this and lead the team for a little bit and lean on some of those upperclassmen to help fill the void for me.”
For the men’s team, Jack Van Kempen has been selected as an Athlete to Watch in the NSIC. Van Kempen — who played a role in the UMD men’s 2023 second-place finish in the NSIC — says the Bulldogs will have a chance at winning the conference title this season.
“If we’re able to win the conference championship, that would be awesome.,” smiled Van Kempen. “(There are) no individual accolades that I’d like to hit, I’d just like to give my best every day, I think that’s all you can ask for.”
For the women, Franny Siedel was named an NSIC Athlete to Watch following a year in which UMD placed sixth in the conference. Siedel, who finished 26th individually in the NSIC championship, is looking forward to being a leader amongst her fellow teammates this fall.
“It’s really easy to lead this group of women, and I have a lot of people who help me,” explained Siedel. “And I know I can turn to all of them, so we just have a lot of fun, sharing the same goals, so I think leadership will just come easy and I want to do it too.”
The UMD cross country season begins on September 7 when they travel to River Falls, followed by the Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis on September 20.
