Photo By Sarah Bower
By Emily Frey
Editor’s Note: This piece is the beginning of The Quill’s “Unsung Heroes” series, where we dive into the stories of the people who make SU athletics possible
Ever since she stepped foot onto campus, Jenna Horning has been heavily involved with Susquehanna athletics.
During her first year, she was recruited for the track & field team. She has competed in jumps and throws ever since. She’s had quite an impact, placing fourth in the high jump at the 2023 Landmark Conference Indoor Championships before placing fifth in the outdoor championships in the spring. She’s done so battling injuries all along the way.
“From second grade as I said to now, I’ve been involved in sports and I always get injured,” she said. “Even though the indoor season didn’t go as I planned, I learned the importance of mindset, knowing things happen for a reason. It was eye opening to be able to see the sport from another perspective as someone who wasn’t able to compete and just be there for my teammates, knowing all the hard work they put in. They inspire me and I’ll treasure every moment I have left with this team.”
Even outside of the track & field program, the senior sports media major has made her mark on SU athletics. She’s heavily involved with athletic communications, covered sports for The Quill, and has worked with the SU Communications Department to help produce their Sports Spotlight and Coaches Corner shows.
“She is one of those rare kinds of student-athletes that work in our office but is also able to represent the track program,” said Dan Graham, director of athletic communications at Susquehanna. “She’s great because she is not always pigeonholed at Susquehanna… She is a sideline reporter for high school football in the local area…she is contributing to the greater good of being a sports media student…and also as a female sports media student.”
On top of that, she works with the athletic administration, which gives her the opportunity to see the business side of athletics.
Horning said that Susquehanna’s AWSM (Association for Women in Sports Media) chapter was one of the main reasons that she landed in Selinsgrove. After graduation, she is hoping to secure an internship with ESPN or another news source in the greater New York City area.With a love for interviewing athletes, part of Horning’s goal is to start her own podcast.
“Something I really want to do is have a podcast where I interview athletes,” she said.”Start with maybe college athletes, high school athletes, hoping with the goal it gets to professional athletes, in order to hear their story and maybe any hardships that they’ve gone through that they’d be willing to share…I think that can help not only them by sharing it, but maybe kids who are going through similar situations, or having a rough time. Hearing that someone else has gone through something similar just lets them know that anything is possible.”
