Stephanie Jenks of Linn-Mar has been honored as the Gatorade Iowa Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year for the second time in her prep career.

Jenks, an outstanding distance runner, also was honored by Gatorade when she was a freshman during the 2012-13 school year. She will be a senior at Linn-Mar this year.

The award recognizes athletic excellence, academic achievement and character.

Jenks, 5-foot-5, captured the 800, 1500 and 3000 meter runs at the 2015 Drake Relays and won all three events at the Class 4A state meet, helping Linn-Mar finish second in the team standings.

Jenks has maintained a 4.0 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society. She has volunteered on behalf of Habitat for Humanity, won the silver medal in the triathlon at the Junior Olympics in China last summer and is a second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

"Stephanie Jenks' persistent training and determination to succeed at the highest level has resulted in her being among the best in the history of Iowa high school track and field," said Linn-Mar track coach Nathan Hopp. "She continues to push the envelope and work towards higher accomplishments and achievements for herself every time she gets on the track."

Jenks is now eligible for the national award in girls track from Gatorade.