Bio

One of the best NCAA Division II throwers of her era, Jessica Bridenthal has been an important piece of the Hillsdale College track and field program's success since joining the coaching staff in August 2018. In the summer of 2022, after four years of success in her role as an assistant, Bridenthal was elevated to Associate Head Coach of the Charger track and field program, a reflection on both her accomplishments as a coach at Hillsdale, and the leadership she brings to the program.

Bridenthal came to Hillsdale after serving as the head coach at Keystone College in Pennsylvania. In addition to being the head coach there, she was also the strength and conditioning coach for the athletic department, enhancing the planning and execution of workout plans for teams across the entire department.

At Hillsdale, Bridenthal is focused on throwing events, and has achieved notable results in the four years since joining the program, with multiple throwers earning G-MAC titles and NCAA DII national meet berths while also rewriting the Charger record book in the throws. Nikita Maines has qualified to six NCAA DII national meets and set both the school's indoor and outdoor shot put records under Bridenthal's watch, Katie Sayles broke the program's indoor weight throw record, and Eden Little broke the program's javelin record as well. Averi Parker also earned All-American honors for the Chargers at the 2022 NCAA DII Indoor Championships in the shot put, another major accomplishment during Bridenthal's tenure.

Most recently, Bridenthal helped freshman Ben Haas to a stellar first full season of competition in 2022-23, winning a G-MAC Championship and earning All-American honors with a third-place finish in the weight throw at the 2023 NCAA DII Indoor Championships.

Prior to Hillsdale, Bridenthal's coaching career also included stops at Duquesne University, the College of Wooster and Freedom High School. She's also worked as a personal trainer at Snap Fitness 24/7 and the YMCA.

In her undergraduate years as a thrower at Ashland University, she was an NCAA Division II national champion in the weight throw (19.71m in 2014), and racked up an incredible 12 All-American honors between indoor and outdoor competition. She qualified for the national championships 14 separate times throughout her career. To this day, she holds the freshman record in the indoor 20-pound weight throw at Ashland (19.60m).