Background

Jenelle and classmate Tim Broe put East Peoria High School on the map when, as juniors, they both won Illinois state cross country titles – the first state championships of any sport in the high school since 1952. That same year, Jenelle also won the state 1600m crown. She went on to become a four-time All-American at the University of Wisconsin, where she received a BA in kinesiology in 2001 and a master’s degree in physical therapy two years later.

As a member of the Wisconsin Runner Racing team, Jenelle finished 10th at the 2000 Olympic Trials. In the fall of 2003, she moved to the Twin Cities to join Team USA Minnesota, and placed fourth at 1500m in the 2004 Olympic Trials. Now training long-distance under coach Juli Henner, Jenelle works 20 hours a week at the Institute for Athletic Medicine in Minneapolis as a physical therapist, and is married to a fellow PT, Paul Wambold. Recently, they adopted their “foster” dog, a Boston Terrier named Dante.