Hall of Fame
Jessica grew up in Mount Horeb, WI, where she was a four-sport athlete, excelling in both track & field and cross country at Mount Horeb High School.
After graduating from Mount Horeb, Jessica enrolled at Madison College in the fall of 1998. In her freshman season, Krantz won the women’s cross country state title and placed fifth at the 1998 NJCAA Division III cross country national championships. She received first team All-American honors as a result of her tremendous season. Krantz also earned all-state honors and the team’s most valuable award that season. Her top five national finish helped propel her team to fourth place. The fourth place finish equaled the highest national team placing in the program’s 27 year history. Head cross country coach, Bill Hausler, commented that, “Jessica Krantz was our fastest runner in 1998 and ran consistently all season long. Her times placed her second all-time in school history and her fifth place finish at nationals, along with her state championship, tell you the kind of runner she is.”
After a few years away from the sport, she came back to compete at Madison College in 2001. Krantz, once again, led the WolfPack all season, posting her 5K season best at the St. Norbert College Invitational. Later that year, she qualified for the 2001 NJCAA Division III National Championships in San Antonio, TX. On a very hot day in November, Krantz ran to a sixth place national finish, earning All-American honors for the second time. Those All-American honors put Jessica in a class by herself. She currently stands as the only women’s student-athlete in Madison College history to earn two All-American honors… a very impressive feat indeed. In addition to her All-American honors it is not surprising that Jessica also earned the team’s most valuable player award that season. All told, Jessica owns ten of the top twenty 5K times in Madison College women’s cross country history.
Jessica’s success at Madison College earned her a college scholarship to run cross country at NCAA Divison II, UW-Parkside. She competed for the Rangers during the 2002 season, placing fourteenth at the Great Lakes Regional Championships. Her finish qualified her for the 2002 NCAA Division II National Championships. Jessica finished in the top half of all competitors at the national championships, concluding an incredibly successful college running career.
“Jessica was an incredibly talented runner who had a great attitude,” commented head cross country coach, Bill Hauser. “She always worked hard, ran hard and encouraged her teammates to do the same. She definitely made a mark on the Madison College cross country program.”
