Collegiate athletes graduating in the class of 2025 faced a unique challenge in high school: COVID-19. During their junior year, the pandemic struck, disrupting any chance of a normal recruiting process.

As a result, recruiting was reduced, leading to smaller graduating classes. This was exactly the case for solo senior, Jaylene Mundorff.

“Coming in as the only freshman girl forced me to make friends my age outside of my sport,” Mundorff said. “I had to come out of my shell and be more than just my sport.”

Although being the only senior has its challenges, head coach Chris Hardie reflected on how Mundorff has grown over the years.

“She’s always been here every day, and she works very hard,” Hardie said. “I really appreciate that. That consistency, seeing her every day through tough workouts, easy workouts — she’s always been there and put in the effort.”

Mundorff has competed in cross-country for the past eight years. She said each year is fun, but one thing truly drives her passion for the sport.

“What created my passion for this sport is the friendships I’ve made along the way,” Mundorff said. “Along with the friendships, it’s the feeling of belonging.”

Throughout her four years with the women’s cross-country program at Waynesburg University, Mundorff has stepped into a leadership role, even though she is “naturally introverted,” Hardie explained. 

He also noted how this has affected her running “I’ve seen that, where she is now, she’s leading warmups for us. She’s definitely a leader on the team, and she’s a little bit more vocal,” Hardie said. “During her sophomore and junior years, she made a big jump, dropped 15 seconds, and now she’s been able to maintain that high level for about two years.”

Despite being early in the season, Mundorff is already reflecting on the bittersweet reality of her athletic career coming to a close. However, one memory has stood out for her.

“My favorite memory is probably from my junior year,” Mundorff said. “Living with five of my teammates and best friends and just being able to hang out with them every day, even outside of the sport.”