UWEC Athletics Hall of Fame
Maria Jensen is one of the few Blugolds who has earned AVCA First Team All-America honors. She did that in 1997 when she led the Blugolds to a 32-6 overall record and a 7-1 conference mark. The Blugolds advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III playoffs that year. Jensen set school single season records for kills (581) and total attacks (1,329) while setting a match record for service aces (9). At the time of her induction, she ranked among the top five in career kills (1,408), career total attacks (3,469) and career digs (1,561). She was also in the top 10 in career service aces (167). Besides her All-American recognition, she was a three-time All-Conference First Team pick and an Academic All-District selection in 1996. Jensen was a sprinter and jumper on the Blugold track team, earning three letters. At the time of her induction, she still held the school 600-meter indoor record. She competed in the Drake Relays twice and was an NCAA Division III indoor and outdoor national qualifier in both 1996 and 1997.
Since her UWEC graduation, she has coached track at Notre Dame Middle School and volleyball at McDonell High School in Chippewa Falls and at Lone Rock Middle School in Stevensville, Montana. She also coached the JV2 volleyball team at Hudson for four years and a club team for two years. At the time of her induction, Jensen was a math teacher for Twin Cities Academy High School in St. Paul. She was also tutoring for Sylvan Learning Center in Hudson. Jensen was inducted into the Eau Claire Regis High School Hall of Fame in 2008. At the time of her Blugold induction, she and husband Pete were the parents of two children.
