A two-sport athlete, Jensen was a four-year member of the basketball team and played two seasons of varsity soccer.
On the court, the Penn Yan native helped the Herons to a 45-37 record, including a 16-6 mark in 1978-79. A tenacious defender and a deft passer on the court, Jensen broke the William Smith record for assists, averaging 7.1 assists per game in 1980-81. The following season, she dished out 6.6 assists per game, the third best average in school history. Jensen completed her basketball career with 293 assists, second all-time (currently seventh), and a 3.6 assist per game average, also second all-time (currently sixth). The two-time team captain earned All-State honors in 1980 and garnered the team’s Most Improved Player (1979-80) and Best Defensive Player (1980-81) awards.
On the pitch, Jensen was a member of the Herons’ first varsity squad in 1980. As a senior, she was named William Smith’s MVP. “I sat on the committee to hire Aliceann Wilber, the first, and only, William Smith soccer coach,” Jensen recalls proudly.
As a Heron student-athlete Jensen thought she was provided with adequate opportunities to compete, having the ability to participate in two varsity sports. “At the time, I didn’t recognize that I grew up during an era that was still in the initial stages of athletic change. In hindsight, I am thankful for being able to take part in an evolution,” says Jensen.
A dean’s list student and a member of Hai Timiai, Jensen graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in economics. A teacher at Marcus Whitman High School, she earned a master’s degree in education from Elmira in 1991. She served as the varsity soccer coach at Marcus Whitman, guiding the team to the league championship in 1995, earning the Coach of the Year honors that season.
