Elliot Fenske is the 4 1/2-year-old son of University of South Dakota cross country runners Joel and Tina Fenske, and when he’s rigged, it means he’s tired. He uses the term when it applies, just like his mom and dad.
“We say it a lot around the house and Elliot picked up on it,” said Tina Fenske, the Coyotes’ top female cross country runner.
“(Coach) Scott Munsen got us saying it. It’s short for rigor mortis, like when you’re running and you start to tighten up.”
Joel and Tina, husband and wife, became close as freshmen runners at Paynesville Area High School (Minnesota) and have never parted, although they have spent considerable time prior to this school year separated by the details of life.
Tina had Elliot while she was in high school, and remained in Paynesville on her parents’ farm while Joel went to college. Together, they discovered Paynesville is a long way from Vermillion, even by phone.
“It was a long time before we’d see each other,” Tina said. “It was especially tough for Joel, because Elliot was with me. It’s been a little different this year, but we’ve been looking forward to being together for so long.” Joel and Tina were married in August. Joel is pursuing a career as a chiropractor and Tina, who became a licensed practical nurse in Joel’s absence, is studying to become an RN.
For Munsen, who coaches one of the top men’s programs in the country and is attempting bringing the women’s program up to speed, it was a match made in heaven.
Tina has five school records at Paynesville and finished in the top 10 at the Minnesota state cross country meet three times. Despite the three-year competition layoff, she quickly has become the Coyotes’ top woman runner, leading USD with a 12th place finish at the NCC meet two weeks ago.
Joel, who has run for USD for three seasons, continued his career-long ascent in the same NCC meet, moving to third this year after finishing eighth a year ago.
“They’re both very goal-oriented,” Munsen said. “They were real up-front about the whole thing. They didn’t want the fact that they’re married to have any effect on the team.”
The big winner in this arrangement, other than the Coyote cross country program, appears to be Elliot. The DakotaDome has become his personal playpen.
“He’s adjusted really well,” Tina said. “He’s a very active kid and everybody has been very helpful with him. Yesterday we got done running and we played catch with the football in here. He had guys on the football team throwing him the ball.”
Running has always been a part of the Fenske’s relationship, playing a role that is much larger than merely a shared ability to run distances.
“It’s what brought us together in the first place,” Joel said. “It was the first meeting place for us. We liked each other’s company and it kind of took off from there.”
Tina agreed: “We run together a lot now. It’s a time for us to relax. If it’s not running, it’s something else. We’re pretty active.”
On the surface, a married couple taking full course loads while competing in a demanding sport—and raising a four-year-old—would seem an incredible struggle. But Joel says the rough days are behind them.
“Through all our dealing with being apart for so long, getting through hard times in our relationship, dealing with the successes and the failures, the Lord has been the focal point for us,” Joel said. “He’s been the rock we’ve been holding on to.”
Reprinted from the Sioux Falls Argus Leader.