Jenny Ryan

Head Coach, Cross Country
Assistant Coach, Track and Field
E-mail: jryan@nmu.edu
Telephone: 906-458-0639
At NMU Since 2002

Ryan was named head coach of the women’s cross country team prior to the 2007 season. Ryan led the Wildcats to fifth-place finishes at both the GLIAC and NCAA Division II Region in 2007.  At the 2008 GLIAC Championships the 'Cats were eighth. She is also the assistant coach for the men's and women's Nordic ski teams and the NMU indoor and outdoor track teams. Ryan became full-time cross-country assistant coach in August 2002 after spending the previous two years as head coach Sten Fjeldheim’s graduate assistant. Before coming to NMU, Ryan held numerous coaching positions.

From 1997-00 Ryan was a coach for the Bridger Ski Foundations Junior Ski Program as well as the Masters Cross-Country Skiing Training and Racing Group, both in Bozeman, Mont. Ryan also served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Montana State University women’s cross-county ski team. She taught math at Chief Joseph Middle School, in Bozeman, where she also coached sixth-grade track and field.

During her coaching career at NMU, Ryan has helped coach the cross country running team to the NCAA Division II Championships six years in a row where the team finished eighth, sixth, fourth, seventh and seventh. These teams have produced 10 NCAA II All-American runners, won two GLIAC conference championships, and one NCAA II Great Lakes Regional Championship.

Ryan has also assisted with the men’s and women’s ski teams the past nine years, leading to them competing at the NCAA Ski Championships each year. These teams have produced 43 All-Americans and three NCAA National Champion. The NMU ski team has also had many Junior World Team members as well as current U.S. Ski Team members.

Ryan is a native of Burnsville, Minn. She attended Montana State University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in math education with a minor in physical education and health. Ryan skied for Montana State University for four years and garnered Academic All-American honors, placing fourth at the 1988 College Nationals.

She continued her skiing career after college, gaining national recognition in cross-country skiing and biathlon, competing in nine National Championships and three Olympic Trials. She also competed in the 1999 World Master’s Championships in Grindelwald, Switzerland, winning one gold and two silver medals. Recently, Ryan became a Master’s National Champion, winning two gold medals at the 2004 Masters National Championships.

Ryan received her master’s degree in exercise science from NMU in 2002 and was named Outstanding Graduating Graduate Student.