Jay Elsen

Sports and stories have always been a passion of mine, and I’ve been fortunate enough to make a career out of combining the two.

I’m a native of Sparta, Wisconsin and graduated from Sparta Senior High School in 1999.  From there, I continued my education at Northwestern College (St. Paul), where I played soccer, and graduated in May of 2003 with a degree in Broadcasting/Electronic Media.

After graduation I served as an intern at WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, gaining valuable experience in the world of major market sports.  My first full-time gig came as a sports reporter at KEYC-TV in Mankato, Minnesota.  During my stay in the Key City, I covered a variety of local and regional sports, including Minnesota Vikings Training Camp.  I then took the road less traveled (at least for me), and joined the KELOLAND team in May of 2005 as the weekend sports anchor.

It took very little time for me to get used to the great people and the great places of South Dakota, and I’m proud to call it home.  Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my wife Kara and bouncing black lab “Bucky.” I also love everything sports, whether it be playing a round of golf, or in front of the TV cheering on the Badgers and Packers.

I’m also looking for a new story to tell.  So if you have an idea, feel free to send me an email at jelsen@keloland.com.