The lyrics don’t fit, but the title of Bruce Springsteen’s greatest hit, “Born to Run” does. Dorothy Jensen a sophomore at Lander Valley High School comes from a long line of runners.
When asked when she decided to be a distance runner, she was quick to respond. “I don’t know if it’s ever been a question for me; everyone in my family has been a distance runner, aunts, uncles, and grandma,” Dorothy said. “It’s never been a question.”
Dorothy is the daughter of Scott and Darlene Jensen.
“Dad ran collegiately at Keene State in New Hampshire,” Dorothy said. “Cross country and outdoor track.”
Scott was raised in Evanston and Casper.
“He went to New Hampshire for college,” Dorothy said. “A few years after me and my brothers were born he decided to move to Lander.”
Competition began early for Dorothy.
“I’ve been in road races since I was five years old,” she said. “There was a race in Hudson when I was in third grade, a 5K, and I won. I started to like running”
Entering competitive athletics at a young age can often backfire as children grow into their teens, but that was not the case with Dorothy. Aside from a blip in sixth grade, she’s been a committed runner for over a decade.
“I started to hate it in sixth grade,” Dorothy said. “I guess I was hanging out with the wrong kids who hated everything.”
A couple of years later, she was back on course.
“In eighth grade, I realized I was good at it,” she said.
Cross country presents more challenges than distance racing on a track. Each course is different. Some are flat, others have long hills, and still others have hills throughout the race.
“I’d say I’m pretty decent at hills. Some of my best races were where they have hills,” Dorothy said. “My favorite cross-country course is Beartrap on Casper Mountain. My first race in Star Valley had a bunch of hills and one big hill. It was a rough start to the season, but I wasn’t even close to the time I wanted to be at.”
A five-kilometer high school race often comes down to the final 100 yards. If you have a kick (the ability to sprint at the end of a race) you have a decided advantage. Speed is something she has worked on with her coaches.
“I have a better kick than I’ve had before, but I wouldn’t say it is the best you’ve ever seen,” she said.
In her freshman season at the Class 3-A State Track Championships in Casper last May she competed well for head coach Josie Rounds’ state champion Lady Tigers.
Jensen was sixth in the 800, third in the 1600 and runner-up in the 3200-meter run in a time of 11:27.43. Graduated Lander senior Ameya Eddy finished just ahead of her in the 800 in fifth and the 1600 in second, and trailed her in the 3200, finishing third.
Eddy and Jensen were joined by Daisy Goklish and Katy Anderson in winning the 4×800-meter relay in 9:41.05.
“Winning the state championship was a lot of fun,” Dorothy said.
In between cross country and outdoor track, Dorothy competes in Nordic skiing.
“It doesn’t get me in running shape, but skiing is pretty good cardio,” Dorothy said. “It’s pretty tough.”
Serious distance runners have a different off-season than sprinters, hurdlers, throwers, or jumpers experience.
A hurdler is likely to play quarterback, small forward, or shortstop. A thrower often plays on the line or the low post, for a distance runner, there is no off-season, they run.
“In the summer I put in more miles per week than I do during the season,” Dorothy said. “I peaked at 25 miles per week,” she said. “I try to stay at 22 to 25 per week.”
During track and cross-country seasons, she runs 18 to 20 miles per week.
Last summer she went to several camps, including the one at Brigham Young University, where she hopes to compete in college. She also had a camp at Lander and one at Colorado State’s Mountain Campus.
The Lady Tigers had a disappointing state cross country final in 2024. Dorothy finished 28th overall and the team was seventh. She has much higher aspirations this season and is currently running the 5K three minutes faster than her time in Cheyenne in the finals last year.’
“I’m hoping to win state this year, I’ve run against all the girls I’d see at state except Cody,” she said. “We’re running against Cody this Friday, and after that meet, I’ve seen all the girls.”
Dorothy is undefeated so far this season.
She has the goal of becoming a physical therapist.
“I’m not the best student in the world, I’m taking a lot of science classes,” Dorothy said. “I’m taking AP biology. I’m struggling in that class, it’s harder than I expected it to be.”
After graduation, she’d like to compete for the Cougars of Brigham Young in Provo, Utah.
“I’m hoping to run for BYU. If I can’t run for BYU, I might join the military,” she said.
Running at a Division I power like BYU means cutting her time even further.
“I’ve got two more years to get into the 17s,” Dorothy said.
She has hopes of running professionally after college.
Assistant track coach Brandy Lee is her distance coach.
She’d like to make the top 20 nationwide and compete next summer at the Nike Nationals or the Foot Locker meet.
Dorothy has had help and support throughout her career.
“Brandy and Robby Lee and my coaches Heidi VanLishout and cross country coach Misty Atnip are great,” Dorothy said. “Thank you to my parents for coming to my meets and making me run on the weekends and in the summer when I don’t want to.”
The Tigers and Lady Tigers return to Cheyenne again at the end of the month on October 25 for the 3-A State Championships.
“As a team I don’t expect us to win, but I think we’ll do pretty decent,” Dorothy said. “Cody and Worland are the teams to beat.”
Born to run? You could say that.