The most accomplished distance runner in the history of Whitman women’s athletics, Jessica Bissonnette Rolfe was a four-time NAIA All-American in cross country and a three-time All-American in track and field.
In cross country, Bissonnette was the Northwest Conference champion as a sophomore and junior, leading Whitman to back-to-back women’s team titles. As a senior, she was a virtual lock for her third consecutive ndividual title, and Whitman was favored to again capture the team championship. Unfortunately, as the women’s team rose to No. 2 in the national rankings that fall, Bissonnette suffered a leg injury and missed the conference meet. She recovered in time to run at the national championships, placing 20th despite a five-week layoff (she had placed 11th as a junior).
The Whitman women’s team qualified for the NAIA national championships in each of Bissonnette’s four seasons. In their best showing of that era, the Missionaries placed fifth in one trip to nationals. They finished sixth in the other three appearances.
In track, Bissonnette capped her junior season by winning the 3,000 meters and placing third in the 5,000 meters at the NAIA championships. She finished off her injury-plagued senior season by placing third at nationals in the 5,000. She holds Whitman school records at 1,500, 3,000 and 5,000 meters, and she was a three-time conference champion in the longer two events.
Bissonnette, who came to Whitman as a graduate of St. Mary’s Academy in Portland, Ore., forged an immediate training partnership and formidable one-two running punch with Kathleen Gibson, a graduate of Beaverton (Ore.) High School. With Bissonnette injured as a senior, Gibson won that’s fall conference cross country championship and placed fifth at NAIA nationals.
Bissonnette, winner of the 1996 Mignon Borleske Trophy as Whitman’s top female athlete, also was named the Blue Mountain Female Athlete of the Year. She is married to Alex Rolfe, a conference cross country champion, NAIA All-American in track & field, and winner of the 1997 R.V. Borleske Trophy as Whitman’s top male athlete.
The couple has three young children – ages 7, 4 and 2 – and live in Newberg, Ore., where Alex Rolfe is the reference librarian at George Fox University. Bissonnette, who completed a master’s degree in teaching at Seattle University, is home schooling her children.
