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Middle Park sports standouts take separate paths to coaching at UNC in Greeley

Will Bublitz
Sky-Hi Daily News
Courtesy photoJenny Glenn and Ben Cherrington both excelled at high school and collegiate sports, and now both, though they took separate paths to get there, are coaching at the University of Northern Colorado.
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Two of the best student athletes Middle Park High School has ever produced are now working together as coaches at the same Colorado university.

Jenny Glenn was a star player with the Lady Panther volleyball team before graduating in 1998. Her younger schoolmate, Ben Cherrington, who graduated in 2001, became one of Middle Park High’s top wrestlers.

After going their separate ways, both have now found themselves together again at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. They are new assistant coaches in their respective sports in the UNC Bears’ athletic program this year.



Volleyball virtuoso

During her four years at Middle Park High, Jenny Glenn excelled in volleyball. Her father, Jim Glenn, was the Lady Panthers’ head coach at the time.



In her senior year, Glenn earned a string of volleyball honors including being named to the All-Conference First Team and All-State First Team. She was also picked as the “3A Player of the Year” and selected as the 1998 Colorado High School Volleyball Championships’ Most Valuable Player. During that year’s championships, Middle Park High’s team finished fourth, which was its best-ever performance at a state meet.

After her graduation from Middle Park High, Glenn received a volleyball scholarship from Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., where she was the team captain and a three-time All-Conference and All-Region player. In 2001, she led TSU to the NCAA Regional Semifinals.

Glenn received her bachelor of science in exercise physiology and was valedictorian at Truman State in 2002. From there, she went on to earn a master’s of science in exercise physiology from Purdue in 2005. While at Purdue, she was a volunteer assistant coach with that university’s volleyball team and was an assistant coach at Grandview High School in 2002-03.

After earning her master’s degree, Glenn was the head coach at the Crush Volleyball Club in Centennial for the Navy 17 and under team, where she led the team to a 2006 Junior National Qualifier. Before accepting the UNC coaching position, she was the head coach of the 18 National Team at the SportsBridge Volleyball Club in Centennial.

For her first season with UNC’s Bears, Glenn is responsible for both outside hitters and defense.

All-American wrestler

Ben Cherrington was also a top athlete all through his high school and college years. His competitive career culminated with his winning an NCAA All-American title.

During his four years at Middle Park High School, Cherrington dominated the sport of wrestling. Coached since the age of 4 by his father Cal Cherrington, who was the head coach of the Panther wrestling team, he posted three undefeated seasons and earned three state championship titles. In his senior year in 2001, he led Middle Park High’s wrestling team to a 3A state championship title.

His success in high school, including a 40-0 record in his senior year, earned Cherrington a wrestling scholarship to Boise State University in Idaho. But once there, college wrestling proved to be a major challenge because the level of competition was so extremely high. He only made the university’s competition team in his sophomore year where he earned a 14-13 record.

Dropping to a lower weight class in his junior year, Cherrington’s results improved dramatically. He earned a 34-8 record and a PAC-10 championship title.

In his senior year in the fall of 2005, Cherrington appeared to be on track, but a major knee injury in October sidelined him. Going through a rapid rehabilitation, he only rejoined the Boise State team midway through the wrestling season, but went on to earn an unbeaten 20-0 record and qualify for the NCAA Championships.

At the NCAA Championships held in Oklahoma City, Okla. on March 18, 2006, Cherrington was unbeatable. He won all five of his matches and in the finals, he defeated his opponent in a 7-3 decision to earn the All-American title.

In his first year at UNC, Cherrington is an assistant coach for the Bears’ wrestling team.


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