Jen Ecker began her running career as a freshman at UMBC in December 1998. She joined the track team on a whim after having been a competitive swimmer throughout middle and high school. She quickly became the Retriever's top female distance runner and developed an absolute love of running. The sport has remained an important part of
her life and has been an effective means of relieving stress while in graduate school at Johns Hopkins. Jen's favorite distances are the 8K, 10K, and 10 miler. She has been a member of the Howard County Striders since 2005.