Assistant Coach
JENNA’S STORY
Jenna joined the HOKA NAZ Elite coaching staff in January of 2021 after a long and successful career in the NCAA. She is married to former Spalding University Head Track and Field Coach, Nate Thiesfeld. Jenna and Nate have a son, Dev, who was born in Flagstaff in 2021.
AS A COACH
Jenna began her coaching career as an assistant at Appalachian State University for two years from 2006-2008, spending her summers interning at ZAP Fitness (now ZAP Endurance) under head coach Pete Rea. She then moved back to Tempe, Ariz. and took on graduate assistant coach duties at her alma mater, helping guide the Sun Devils to a 14th-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. From there, she worked for a year with coach Scott Simmons at Queens University in Charlotte, NC at the Division II level before taking the head women’s cross country coach position at High Point University. At High Point, she led the women to their first ever Big South Conference title in 2011 and was twice named Big South coach of the year. She took on the assistant coach role at the University of Louisville in 2016, beginning a four-and-a-half year run where she worked with multiple NCAA All Americans including 2017 National steeplechase champion Edwin Kibichy, and 2018 10,000 meter runner-up Dorcas Wasike.
Since joining HOKA NAZ Elite in 2021, NAZ athletes have produced more than 50 wins including six national championships, three national records, and more than 15 team records.
AS AN ATHLETE
Jenna ran collegiately at Arizona State University where she ran cross country and track with the likes of 2017 World Championship Bronze Medalist Amy Cragg and 2018 Boston Marathon Champion Des Linden.