Jenna Krong of Amsterdam and Brendan Petty of Fort Plain have been named winners of the Fulmont Roadrunners Club’s 2005 James R. Dern Memorial Scholarships. The athletes received their $500 awards in ceremonies following the club’s Mule Haul road race in June.

Jenna, the daughter of Joseph and Janette Krong, excelled academically and athletically. She was an A student, graduating 27th in Amsterdam High School’s 230-student class of 2005, and was a member of the National Honor Society. An avid runner, she was a six-year member of Amsterdam High’s varsity track team and ran cross country for four. In the spring of 2004 she set new school records for track at the 400-, 1500-, and 3000-meter distances, and was part of the team that set a new record for the two-mile relay. In cross country, she was number one or two runner for each of the years she competed. She was a ten-time Big Ten All Star in track and cross country, and she was captain of both the track and cross country teams in her junior and senior years. She also participated in a number of road races, winning the club’s 2004 Winter Wimp among several others.

Jenna worked part time at a local retail store while in high school and was involved in a number of extra-curricular school activities, including Peer Leadership and Medical Explorers. She also was an active volunteer, working at places including the SPCA, St. John’s Parish, the Milk House Art Studio, and Marie Curie Elementary School.

She will be going on to Quinnipiac University, where she will be studying elementary education with an eye toward becoming an elementary school teacher. She plans to continue her competitive running there.

Brendan, the son of James and Lisa Petty, is a 2005 graduate of Fort Plain Junior-Senior High School, where he finished seventh in his class of 56 with a 90+ average. He competed for nine varsity seasons as a runner in cross country and track at Fort Plain, receiving numerous running honors including Cross Country MVP, Track MVP, Outstanding Runner, and Undergraduate Athlete of the Year. He also has received Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and Section II all star recognition, and was named a Section II Scholar/Athlete and WAC (Northern Division) Scholar/Athlete of the Year. He competed in the National Junior Olympic Cross-Country Championships three times.

In addition to his running, Brendan played trombone in the school’s jazz and marching bands, and otherwise was very involved in the school. He was a four-year member of the Student Council and SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving), serving as president of both organizations this year, and he was president of the Class of 2005. He was a member of the National Honor Society. Brendan worked as a lifeguard in the summers and during the school year and volunteered every other Sunday at the Ronald McDonald House in Albany.

He will be majoring in government at Hamilton College, and hopes to study the law after that. He will be competing at Hamilton in cross country as well as indoor and outdoor track.

Jenna and Brendan are the 21st and 22nd recipients of the scholarship that bears the name of the late Jim Dern, a Canajoharie resident, Beechnut executive, and longtime running enthusiast and FMRRC member. With this year’s awards, more than $10,000 in scholarships have been granted to young men and women from eight area high schools. The awards program was begun in 1995.