UMD Athletics

Brette Jensen who spent the 2020-21 year as the assistant men's and women's cross country and track and field coach/coordinator of operations at NCAA Division I Drake University, became the head men's and women's cross country coach and assistant men's and women's track and field coach at UMD on December 8, 2021.  

In her first season as UMD's cross country coach, Jensen guided the women's team to a Roy Griak Invitational title for the first time since 2015. The Men's and Women's teams both captured the Bulldog Open titles. The women's team climbed as high as 12th nationally in the USTFCCCA poll and qualified for the NCAA Division II Championships, where they placed 20th overall, it's highest finish since 2017.

In 2024, Jensen went on to coach Francine Seidel to a 12th place finish at the Central Region Championships, and to follow, a national championship berth. The year prior in 2023, Jensen led the UMD men’s team to a runner-up placing at the NSIC Cross Country Championships. 

On the track, Jensen coached Cailee Peterson to a national runner-up placing in the women’s mile indoors, as well as another All-American honor (4th) in the 1500m outdoors during the 2022-23 season. Peterson also claimed the NSIC titles in both events that year under Jensen. 

Jensen also guided Isabelle Brezinka to All-American status (8th) in the women’s 800m outdoors in 2022, and Savannah Schley to a national championship in 2025 in the same event.

Other NSIC Conference Champions born out of Jensen’s program include Shaelyn Hostager in the women’s outdoor 5,000 and 10,000m, and Jack Van Kempen in the men’s indoor 5000m, both during the 2024-25 season. 

While at Drake, Jensen assisted with the development of student-athletes in cross country and track and field as well supported team travel and logistics. Jensen was also one of the assistant directors for the 2021 Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa which features many of the top high school, college, and professional athletes in track and field. 

Prior to Drake, Jensen was a volunteer assistant cross country and track and field coach at her alma mater, the University of Northern Iowa, while also competing post-collegiately. While a student-athlete NCAA Division I Northern Iowa, she was a three-time Missouri Valley Conference Champion and recorded personal bests of 2:04 in the 800m and 4:22 in the 1,500m. Jensen also helped lead the Panthers to the MVC cross country title in 2016. She was also the epitome of a student-athlete as she was the first Panther to earn the MVC's prestigious Elite 17 award, given to the student-athlete with the highest grade point average at an MVC conference championship.
 
A native of Dyersville, Iowa, Jensen graduated from Western Dubuque High School and finished her prep career with four different school records (4X800, distance medley, 4X400 and the 800 meters).