Jerry Fresenko, who earned two undergraduate degrees at Malone (1990, Business Administration and 1994, Elementary Education), was a four-year letterman on the Malone men’s cross country and track and field teams. A 1986 graduate of Mentor High School, Fresenko earned a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Marygrove College (MI) in 2002.
Fresenko was an NCCAA cross country All-American in all four years in which he competed (’86 -’89) and a two-time NAIA cross country All-American (’88, ’89). Additionally, he was named All-NAIA District 22 three times (’87 thru ’89). He left Malone with the third-best five-mile time in school history (24:54) and the sixth-best 10,000-meter time (32:11). Fresenko and his cross country teammates qualified for the NAIA National Championships in all four of his years, finishing as high as second in 1989. In addition to his cross country prowess, Fresenko was also an NCCAA All-American in track & field (steeplechase, ’89), earning the individual NCCAA national championship that year, and was a three-time All NAIA District 22 recipient (’88 thru ’90) in the same event. He was the NAIA District 22 steeplechase champion from 1988 through 1990 and the conference champion in the steeplechase in both 1988 and 1989. He was also the NAIA District 22 5,000-meter champion in 1990. At the conclusion of his final track & field season, he held Malone’s fifth-best time in the steeplechase with a time of 9:13.76.
Fresenko now teaches sixth-grade math at Louisville Middle School, where he serves as the boys and girls cross country coach. He is also the girl's varsity track & field coach at Louisville High School. He and his wife, Deana (Hagestrom), a 1990 Malone graduate and four-year Pioneer cross country and track & field member, and their three children, Nick (21), who currently competes for the Malone cross country and track and field teams, Zach (14) and Emily (12), reside in Louisville.
