Jenner: reliving a memory

Player Profile:

Andrew Jenner

Men's Soccer
Senior Midfield

Sometimes all it takes to find something you love is reliving a memory.

That was the convincing Andrew Jenner needed to decide to leave the cross country team to play soccer his senior year at EMU.

“Last year a variety of things made me decide that I wanted to give up serious running. I started playing soccer again and remembered how much I enjoyed it, and then one thing led to another and all of the sudden I was playing for EMU this year,” said Jenner.

The Harrisonburg native said that he began playing soccer at the age of four or five, and played competitively at Eastern Mennonite High School, where he was also able to run cross country at the same time. When he came to EMU, though, the current recordholder of EMU’s 5,000 meter indoor track record “...decided to go with cross country because I felt like I had more potential there. (He) only focused on running for about two years, and barely played any soccer during that time.”

On a team with a record of 5-2-3 overall and 2-1-1 in conference play, Jenner has seen significant playing time as a rookie this season. He registered his first collegiate goal en route to a three to nothing shut out against visiting Emory and Henry. The soccer team, coached by Roger Mast is currently ranked fifth in this year’s tightly competitive ODAC.

Jenner has started at the midfield position in seven of the team’s 10 games. He is one of the team’s six newcomers and offers depth to a team that has outscored its opponents 15 to eight.

“I switched to soccer because I wanted to try something new and something I really enjoyed, and that decision has motivated me,” said Jenner. He said also that “It’s been a little bit strange to have this be my first and last year playing soccer.” With over half of this year’s fall season already past, Jenner’s soccer career will soon draw to a close. As he moves with the rest of the season and academic year, and on into life he offers a “huge thanks to the people who have encouraged me and given me the space to pursue my interests.”

During this first and final season of his soccer tenure at EMU, Andrew Jenner has proven that his decision to leave the cross country team his senior season was well justified.