BFS Female High School Athlete of the Year Jennifer Walter · BFS Female High School Athlete of the...

Jennifer WalterHow this exceptional athlete from a small Midwestern town became

an exceptional role model

BFS Female High SchoolAthlete of the Year

here’s a checklist for determin-ing which athletes are mostdeserving of the BFS Female

High School Athlete of the Year. We’relooking for an exceptional multi-sportathlete, a great student and a person ofexceptional character. Many times, ourcandidates have traits that are extraexceptional: 2004 winner Sarah Cardinalcould clean and jerk 220 pounds, and2005 winner Valerie Davis had a fullplate of charitable activities. What setsour 2006 winner, Jennifer Walter, apartis the wide spectrum of her achieve-ments.

Jennifer is an exceptional athletewho last year was selected all state intrack and volleyball, and all conference inbasketball, where she was chosen teamcaptain. She’s strong and fast, with a145-pound power clean at 126 poundsbodyweight, and a 4.9 forty. She’s smart,with a 3.97 GPA; and she’s active inschool functions, including duties astreasurer for her student council. To topthings off, Jennifer donates her spare

time in working with children at herchurch. All these things put togethermake her a role model for all student-athletes and the young woman that BFSjudged worthy of BFS’s highest praise.

Jennifer is a student at HuntleyProject High School, a school inWorden, Montana, that serves 278 stu-dents in grades 9-12. Many of theHuntley Project teachers have been withthe school for a long time, and theirschool has close ties to nearby lower-levelschools that feed the high school.Overall, there’s a sense of family thatmakes Huntley Project special. Oneteacher who exemplifies this idea is IonaStookey, the women’s volleyball coach for17 years and the assistant women’s bas-ketball coach for 11 years. CoachStookey has been working with Jennifercontinually since the fifth grade.

“I would say that in all my yearshere, Jennifer Walter is the best athletethat has come through this school, handsdown,” says Stookey. “Even as a fifthgrader, Jennifer was already very athletic

and a great leader among her peers.”Jennifer was on the varsity volleyball

team as a freshman, and that year theywon state, going 36-0; the next year theywon state again with a 35-0 record. Theirwinning streak lasted 99 games, andCoach Stookey says that Jennifer playeda significant part in all the matches up tothat point. “I use Jennifer as a setter, andshe is so quick to the ball and such asmart player that she makes the othergirls look good too.” Stookey says that inaddition to Jennifer’s physical skills, she“plays to win and brings fire and leader-ship to the team. We had a situationwhen we were down 20-11 and Jen took

BFS SUCCESS STORY

12 | BIGGER FASTER STRONGER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006

BY KIM GOSS

T

control and helped us win 25-22.”“We have had the BFS program at

our school for about 10 years, although itwas never full-fledged in our weight-room,” says Mark Wandle, a historyteacher who runs the weight trainingprogram and also coaches wrestling,track and football. “I came here sevenyears ago, and we had a group of youngmen and several young women who haveutilized the weight program and BFSstandards to accomplish great things.”

Says Jennifer, “In my sophomoreyear in track season I knew I needed

to get stronger, so I started takingthe weight training program moreseriously. Not only did I getstronger – I could definitely tell a

difference this year in the statetrack meet – but I also found the work-outs made me much quicker for myother sports as well.” Wandle, who regu-larly tests all his athletes against BFS

standards, says that Jennifer’s best resultsinclude the following: power clean, 145;squat, 225; bench, 130; Dot Drill, 52.1;forty, 4.9; twenty, 2.71; and verticaljump, 24 inches.

“The advice Iwould give otherparents is to makesure you knowyour kids. Talk tothem, and getinvolved in whatthey are doing –go watch!”

—ELIZABETH WALTER

www.bigger fasterstronger.com 1-800-628-9737 | 13

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BFS SUCCESS STORY

14 | BIGGER FASTER STRONGER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2006

Jennifer and her team-mates BryanWaldhauser (left), JaredJackson and TiffanyMoullet show off theirmedals from theBusiness Professionalsof America competitionin Florida.

(Above and Right) Jennifer has always been involved in sports, and is taking itto the next level with the BFS program.

Jennifer Walter

Although Jennifer is now a firmbeliever in weight training, she admitsthat when she started she worried she wasgoing to get bulky. Not any longer. “Inow know that this type of weight train-ing program won’t make me huge,” saysJennifer. “I’m stronger and toned, but Idon’t think my appearance has changedmuch.” She also says other girls have got-ten bitten by the weightlifting bug. “In

my freshman year I’d see maybe two orthree girls in the weightroom, but nowthere can be as many as 20 at a time!”

Wandle has known Jennifer sincejunior high school, where he started herwith light weights to perfect her liftingtechnique, not worrying about how much

weight was on the bar. WithJennifer’s 10 individual statetitles in running events, Wandlebelieves that track would be thebest sport for her to focus on in col-lege. Jennifer’s best times include the fol-lowing: 100-meter dash, 12.27;200-meter dash, 25.5; 300-meter hurdles,

44.44; 400-meter dash, 58.02; 100 hur-dles, 15.1. She says her best event is the300-meter hurdles. As for her leastfavorite, she says without hesitation, “Ihate the 400!”

Jennifer’s mother, Elizabeth, saysthat she and her husband, Paul, alwaysencouraged their children to do their bestand to work hard. “The advice I wouldgive other parents is to make sure you

know your kids. Talkto them, and getinvolved in what theyare doing – gowatch!” Jenniferagrees and says thisattitude applies notjust to sports, but alsocarries over to school-work. “My parentspushed me to do mybest, and to me, noth-ing less than straight

A’s are good enough for them. I want myparents to be proud of me.”

After high school, Jennifer plans togo to college and major in business orsome aspect of the medical field, perhapsnursing. One of her academic highlights isthis year going to Florida to compete in a

national event spon-sored by the BusinessProfessionals ofAmerica. Her teamplaced fifth in thefinancial analysis

competition.Jennifer’s

spare time isspent with herfamily, volun-

teering at the ZoeBible Church,

where she works withpreschool children – and

just like most teens, some serious shop-ping. Most of the books she reads andmusic she listens to have a Christian

focus – and she doesn’t know a singlesong of the Pussycat Dolls. Jennifer andher family say they occasionally watchtelevision together as a family; but whenpressed, neither Jennifer nor her mothercan remember the last time they watchedTV or what show they saw.

Although many young people idol-ize people in the entertainment industry,Jennifer says her role models have alwaysbeen her brother and her sisters. “Ialways wanted to be just like them.” Andnow, as a role model herself, she offersthis advice to young girls: “Follow yourdreams and work hard at whatever youwant to do – never stop working hard!”

Jennifer could afford to be cockyabout her accomplishments, but CoachStookey says that’s just not what she isabout. “Jennifer isn’t arrogant about allher success – she walks around with asmile on her face and will bend overbackwards for anyone.” With that type ofendorsement, Jennifer Walter has earnedour congratulations as 2006 BFS FemaleHigh School Athlete of the Year.

JenniferWalter’s Family

Support Group (left toright): Sister Kristin,

parents Elizabeth and Paul,Jennifer with neice Jade,

sister Bethany, niece Jaylyn,sister-in-law Marlo, brother

Randy, and brother-in-law Chris (not

pictured).

“Follow your dreamsand work hard atwhatever you wantto do – never stopworking hard!”

—JENNIFER WALTER

www.bigger fasterstronger.com 1-800-628-9737 | 15

Jennifer works with children at a local church

Jennifer with sister Bethany

~Kyle Meyers, Rutherford B. Hayes High, OH

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