Reinheimer completes balancing act
SLIPPERY ROCK — She lost one season to the COVID-19 pandemic. Employment prevents her from coming back for a fifth year.
But Butler graduate Jena Reinheimer made the most of her years in between at Slippery Rock University. A standout in throws on The Rock’s track and field team, Reinheimer was recently named third team Academic All-America by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Reinheimer — who originally attended Lehigh University —graduated from SRU this year with a degree in finance and a 4.0 grade point average. She was also a five-time All-PSAC selection in field events and was the 2021 Most Outstanding Field Athlete at the PSAC Championships.
“”It was a hard balance,“ Reinheimer said of maintaining excellence in athletics and academics. ”I had to sacrifice spending a lot of time with friends because I had to train or had to study.
“I knew it was best for my career. I stayed with it because I knew the end-game was worth it. Getting Academic All-America means the world to me.”
Reinheimer won the WPIAL championship in the discus her junior year at Butler, setting the Golden Tornado record with a toss of 140 feet, 1 inch. She decided to attend Lehigh and major in engineering.
“The fit just wasn’t there for me,” she said. “I felt like I was missing out on family and fulfilling my potential. I decided to change my major to finance and look for another school.
“I have a step-uncle who was a gymnast at SRU. I trained with (Knoch gradate and University of Arizona discus thrower) Jordan Geist in high school and am good friends with that family. His mother coaches at Slippery Rock. My decision to go there, the transition was an easy one.”
John Papa, who retired as SRU track and field coach after the 2022 season, said his program gets a lot of transfers from Division 1 schools.
“I think they recognize what they want their college career to be all about,” Papa said. “They want a relaxed atmosphere where they can concentrate on academics while being part of a competitive program.
“Jena became a great leader here who set an example for everyone. She not only excelled in throwing, but she kept everybody involved and engaged. It wasn’t just her academic and athletic skills, it was her people skills.She will be sorely missed by this program.”
Reinheimer said her 89-year-old grandmother “came to every meet I had at SRU. This is such a family-oriented program. Coming here turned out to be a great decision for me.”
In October of last year, Reinheimer suffered a severe right ankle sprain that limited her ability to prepare and complete.
She wasn’t about to miss out on her senior season, however.
“My mobility was gone,” she said. “Our trainers did a tremendous job in getting me ready. They put inserts in my shoes and taped that ankle up so much, I felt like I was wearing a cast.”
Yet she competed. Reinheimer wound up finishing second in the discus and third in the hammer throw at the PSAC Championships, producing her season-best throws in both events.
“Training and competing was painful for her,” Papa said. “It particularly bothered her in the shot put. But this was Jena’s final year and she wanted to compete. She finished the season strong for us.”
While Reinheimer was determined not to miss out on her senior season, she admitted she would have competed regardless of the bad ankle or how many years of eligibility she had left.
“I like to think of myself as a gamer,” she said. “I’m not just competing for myself. I’m counted on to score points for my team and I wasn’t about to let my team down.”
Because of the lost COVID year, Reinheimer could have returned to The Rock to compete in 2022-23. But she has already begun her career and now works for a financial investment firm in Seven Fields.
“You go to college to get an education, No. 1, and that always took precedent with me,” she said. “But I really enjoyed my career in track and field as well.”
Reinheimer wound up earning six career All-Region honors in the weight throw, hammer and discus with SRU.
