Jenna LeNay, a sophomore standout, shattered a 41-year old school record in the women's 10,000 meter run with a remarkable time of 36:02.30, winning the race at the 2024 Oxy Invitational.  The previous record, held by Cynthia Rodgers since 1983, stood at 36:13.93.

The Journey:

LeNay first attempted the 10,000 meters during her first year at the Mangrum Invitational on March 24, 2023, where she finished third with a time of 37:57.78.  Returning to the same meet this season, she claimed victory with a time of 36:25.06.  At her next meet, she completed the 10K in 36:24.12, demonstrating consistency and setting the stage for her record-breaking performance. 

At the 2024 Oxy Invitational, LeNay was relentless, securing victory in the final event of the day with a time of 36:02.30, over two minutes ahead of the next finisher.  This time earned her the school record, surpassing the previous time by 11 seconds.

Words from the Coach:

Head Coach Rob Bartlett praised her performance, saying, "Jenna's only halfway through her Occidental career, but she's already making a strong case for being the best long distance runner in school history.  The 10K school record she broke has stood for 41 years, so breaking it was a tremendous achievement.  We can't wait to watch Jenna continue to rewrite program history in the future."

Reflections from Jenna LeNay:

Breaking the women's 10,000 meter record was not initially on LeNay's radar.  "At the beginning of the season, I never expected to come close to the 10K record and originally had my eyes on the 5K one.  After my first 10K of the season at San Marcos, the 10K record seemed a lot more realistic.  I was, and am, extremely grateful that I did break the record at the Oxy Invite and felt so supported by everyone there.  I'm very thankful for my teammates, friends, family, and coaches who helped me get the record.  I also know that I have so much room to grow in that race, which makes me really excited to run again next season and hopefully break my own record."

A magical part of her success was her training partnership with Ciara Gillen '24, who also broke her own women's distance record in the 3,000 meter steeplechase this season.  "I am incredibly proud of Ciara.  Being her training partner this past year, I was able to witness her growth within the sport day by day.  She is the most hardworking woman I know, and I am so grateful that I was not only able to work out next to her and help each other reach our goals, but also form an amazing friendship.  She's such an inspiration to me," expressed LeNay.  "I want to carry on her kindness, work ethic, and passion for the sport as I become an upperclassman and hopefully inspire my teammates the same way she has done for me." 

The efforts by LeNay and Gillen are particularly special as they are the first school records to be broken in the women's distance events since 2008, and before that, the 1990s.

Looking Ahead:

The life of a student-athlete involves continuous training and looking ahead to future challenges.  After the summer, LeNay will compete with the cross country team before returning to the track next year.  Reflecting on her extraordinary season, LeNay shared, "This past season came with a lot of learning experience.  Going forward in racing, I'm going to try to take the pressure off myself.  I do this sport because I love it, the people it brings into my life, and the challenges it presents.  Having fun with racing and practice while seeing each moment as an opportunity to push myself and trust my hard work is a mindset I want to have going forward."

Seeing an athlete reach new heights is always inspiring, but witnessing two women supporting and elevating each other in sport is even more powerful.  The story of LeNay and Gillen's partnership is inspirational and will continue to motivate Tigers on and off the track.