Valley Grown: Former Colony skier earns multiple collegiate honors

WASILLA — A former Colony High School cross-country skier has earned a number of honors at the collegiate level.

Greta Jenkins, a 2016 graduate of CHS, is now a junior at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota.

Jenkins earned all-region honors after leading the Saints to a third-place finish in the team standings at the NCAA Central Region Championships at the Al Quaal Nordic Center in Ishpeming, Michigan. She was also named second-team All-Central Collegiate Ski Association, and to the all-academic team by the United States Collegiate Ski Coaches Association.

Jenkins posted a team-best ninth-place finish, and garnered all-region honors for the first time.

This also marked the first year Jenkins has been named All-CCSA. Jenkins made big strides as a junior. As a senior, Jenkins made 11 varsity starts. She finished in the top-20 seven times, but was a scoring skier on three times. During her junior season, Jenkins scored in every race. Her season also included a career-best sixth-place finish in the 5-kilometer classic during the Central Collegiate Ski Association Championships. Jenkins used her finish to help the Saints finish as the runner-up in the women’s team standings.

Jenkins, a member of the Dean’s List throughout her time at St. Scholastica, was also named all-academic by the USCSCA as a sophomore.

Jenkins was a four-year varsity skier for the Knights. She posted a pair of top- 5 finishes in the 2016 Region III Championships. She competed in the Junior National Championships as a senior in 2016.

In addition to skiing, Jenkins played volleyball at Colony, and was her class salutatorian.

** Valley Grown is a regular feature highlighting the work of Valley athletes at the next level. Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.