Jay Tennessen  
(Photo/Submitted)

Sara Stadem | Editor 

Rolling into March, many will think of March Madness and all that comes with it. Maybe some will be thinking of the upcoming high school State Basketball Tournaments and what teams will be playing. For one school and the surrounding communities, with the thoughts of the State Basketball Tournament, also comes the thoughts of the loss of a beloved family member, student and teammate. 

In the fall of 2004, Jay Tennessen was a 17-year-old starting his senior year of football as a Tri-Valley Mustang when he thought he had a football injury. 

“He was actually playing football and he got a bruise on his arm; they thought he just got hit hard,” stated his sister Becky Van Duyn. “They thought it was compartment syndrome and they had him seeing a trainer from OI.” 

Becky explained Jay went in for surgery to remove the pressure from his arm but after the surgery, they weren’t able to close up his arm right away due to complications. They thought he was anemic and Jay remained in the hospital longer than planned. 

Originally, they thought Jay would have been released from the hospital prior to Friday in time to attend Friday night’s football game. Becky decided to head to the game in support of the Mustangs and her brother that Friday night. 

“We were expecting Jay to come home and get to be at the game. They had a moment of silence for him right away at the game and everything,” Becky stated. “We didn’t have the cancer diagnosis on that Friday yet but I think, it’s like they just knew.” 

Jay was sent home on Monday with the instructions to follow up with the Avera oncologist from there. They weren’t told anything prior to that but were finally given the diagnosis of CML (chronic myeloid leukemia). 

“Looking back, there were signs – losing weight, getting bruises, but you don’t think of it because they are doing two-a-day practices in August for football and things like that,” Becky said. 

Despite all of this, while receiving a pill form of chemo and with the permission from his doctors, Jay was able to continue his football season. Basketball season came and both the doctors and basketball coach once again agreed to let Jay play with precaution, according to Becky. “That’s all Jay wanted to do was to play basketball,” she said. “They let him practice like everyone else, they treated him like everyone else and for Jay, that was really nice.” 

Tom Bendt was Jay’s high school basketball coach at Tri-Valley and said, “I knew him while he was growing up, coming to camps. He was a little lefthander and you remember them because there aren’t that many of them,” Coach Bendt stated.
Coach Bendt explained while coaching he has a rule. After a game, while he is talking in the locker room, players are not able to take off their shoes or be distracted, they need to sit and listen. During Jay’s senior year, in the middle of the season, Coach Bendt recalls they had a tough loss in January and Jay went into the locker room and started taking off his shoes while Coach was talking.

“We didn’t cut him any slack, we didn’t feel sorry for him and his parents shared with me later how thankful they were for it; that he and they needed that to keep him feeling normal and we could do that because of the strong relationship we had and you can’t do that with everyone, but we could do that with him,” Coach Bendt said. He continued, “That speaks to the relationship I had with him. His parents were appreciative of that.” 

The Tri-Valley Mustangs headed to the State Basketball Tournament that season. Jay and the Mustangs were getting to play in the State Tournament his senior year and after that, he would be heading to Mayo in Rochester for a bone marrow transplant, Becky explained. 

Becky and Coach Bendt recalled the tournament did not go as planned for Jay. “In an earlier game, Jay had broken his nose. Then the last game, Jay fouled out,” Coach Bendt said. “Despite everything, Jay received a standing ovation from over 6,000 people there that night because everyone there knew what he had gone through and that he still showed great character through it all.”

Becky added, “They talked about Jay and how well he handled it all, how he could have been mad about it. They talked about how he carried himself so well even though he could have been mad knowing he was going for a transplant.” 

“The one thing I would say about Jay and the State Tournament… the game to go to State, Regions, wasn’t one of Jay’s better games. I think us winning that game was to get Jay there,” Coach Bendt said. “There was something special going on to get us there. Some kids that didn’t always play the greatest had the best game ever and you start to believe there was a reason for it.” 

Even off the court, Jay impacted people’s lives. Naomi (Swedberg) Juhl sat next to Jay for three years in marching band and pep band. “We always had fun with pep band and he always knew how to make me laugh,” she said. Naomi continued, “He ALWAYS had a smile on his face. I can still hear his laugh! Even when he got sick you would never know by talking to him. He remained positive through everything.” 

Naomi remembers hearing the rumors about Jay being sick for the first time. She recalls sitting next to him after his diagnosis, she must have looked worried. He looked at her and said “Hey! Quit it I’m going to be fine!”

Coach Bendt recalls, “I think one thing that stands out for me about Jay was back in basketball camps. Jay would come back to help and be one of the most amazing kids working with the young kids,” He continued, “He had an electric smile, engaging smile whether it was with students or adults and he just had that effect on people and people remembered that. He was never too cool to help and be around those kids and wanted to help them be better and improve.” 

Jay had this bone marrow transplant after the State Basketball Tournament and was able to return home in time to graduate with his class. 

Naomi said, “My absolute favorite memory of Jay was his graduation. Normally they give a little announcement at the beginning asking for people to hold applause until the end…. well, that wasn’t the case when they called Jay’s name. Everyone cheered, clapped, standing ovation. I cried. Just a small-town community showing all the support for a true role model. He deserved all of it.” 

That summer, after a family trip to California, Jay took a turn for the worst and ended up back in Mayo. After a fight in the ICU, Jay lost his courageous battle to cancer on September 9, 2005. 

“Even from the ride home from Rochester, people were already contacting us and commenting on Caring Bridge, news spread quickly,” Becky said. “The church was so full, they were pulling out folding chairs, it was crazy the support from the community.” 

Since Jay had such an impact on the community, they decided to help keep his memory alive. “My dad was like, we have to keep his memory alive and you know he has a purpose,” Becky said. She explained that her dad and uncles came up with the idea of the Jay Tennessen Memorial Basketball Tournament. “Jay loved basketball and kids so it just made sense.” 

Each year, the money raised at the tournament is put towards the transplant house in Rochester and scholarships. Students apply for the scholarships by writing essays about sportsmanship and the board of directors, made up of parents and teachers, determine the winners. The scholarships are then presented at graduation. 

For many, it’s important that Jay’s memory stays alive. “I think it’s a big deal especially around the anniversary of the State Basketball Tournament time and the anniversary of his passing,” Coach Bendt stated. “Becky posts something and I try to make sure to comment. He was someone that so many looked up to, especially younger kids, and to be reminded of that, that there were and are people out there like that. It’s a positive.” 

Naomi said, “You hear the word cancer so often but you never always have the opportunity to hear people’s stories. With the tournament I really do feel more kids are learning Jay’s story and I pray they take his actions into mind. That no matter how hard it is or how tired you are, you keep fighting. If you haven’t read Don Jorgensen’s book about Jay, (Playing Through the Pain) you need to.” 

She continued, “I’ve grown to get to know the Tennessen’s over the years and they work so hard to make the tournament happen every year. And you know that some of the kids don’t fully comprehend Jay’s story and what happened but some day, they will. And knowing that I’m helping to make sure the tournament happens, even if it’s just helping with concessions or taking money at the door, it reminds ME of Jay. And how I need to be more like him, positive in poor situations, a fighter.” 

Becky concluded, “Sometimes you get an ache and you don’t want to play a sport or get up but Jay never skipped a practice. He always got up; he was always there for his team. When people say they gave it their all, well, Jay really gave it his all. 

Jay may be gone, but he’s not forgotten.