Determination Leads Jackson to National Title

By David Boyce

Pittsburg State senior Jeremy Jackson is enjoying spring break this week. It’s the perfect time for him to relax and take a few days off.

Jackson is coming off a career-defining moment. He won the 60-meter hurdles at the NCAA Division II National Indoor Track and Field Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Saturday.

His championship time of 7.83 seconds broke his school record.

“First I had to hold back the excitement to make sure I won because it was a really close race,” he said. “After that I saw my teammates celebrating so I was really excited about that.”

Jackson didn’t reach the pinnacle of his sport by taking it easy. He’s not on a beach for spring break or even home in warmer Burton, Texas.

Jackson remained in Pittsburg, Kan. His mindset is now focused on the outdoor season.

After taking care of a few chores Tuesday afternoon, Jackson headed outdoors to workout. Pittsburg State has an outdoor track meet March 27. Jackson is getting ready for it the same way he prepared for his last indoor season.

Jackson came into the indoor season completely motivated. He finished as national runner-up in the indoor 60-meter hurdles as a sophomore. He had high hopes of winning the title as a junior.

Despite a solid season that made him a favorite to win the 60-meter hurdles, Jackson didn’t even reach the finals of his signature event.

“I was extremely disappointed last year,” Jackson said.

Part of the problem, Jackson said, was the lingering effects of a broken bone in his lower back that he suffered when he played outside linebacker for the Pittsburg State football team.

“I’m not saying I could have won last year, but that really hurt me a lot,” Jackson said. “This year my focus was the highest it could be to make sure I would win this year.”

Jackson, who no longer plays football, was determined not to allow anything to get in his way from reaching his goal of winning a national title.

With his determination to win a national title so high, it was natural that Jackson felt pressure entering the indoor national meet.

“It is extreme pressure,” Jackson said. “No matter how tough-minded a person is going into a race, there is going to be some doubt that maybe it can’t happen. You have to fight that and keep telling yourself you are going to win.”

During his four years at Pittsburg State, Jackson’s love of track grew. He began his collegiate career at Blinn Junior College, where he just played football.

By the time he transferred to Pittsburg State, Jackson realized how much he missed the sport and decided to participate in two sports.

“I ran track in high school,” Jackson said. “I always had a strong love for football, so I thought I would just play football for a while and then I started missing track. I would see high school meets and other track meets on television, so I decided I would run track when I came to Pitt.”

He eventually left football and put his entire focus on track. Although a track athlete is usually on an island by himself when competing in an event, it still has many components of a team sport like football.

Jackson credits his teammates for helping him win the 60-meter hurdles at nationals. He gives the same support to his teammates.

“It really helps you a lot when your teammates are right there telling you are going to win and have the utmost confidence in you,” Jackson said. “That helps a lot.

“It’s not just me telling myself I can do it. It’s my teammates telling me I can do it. It’s not that I’m letting myself down; I’m letting my teammates down also. That’s a big part of it.”

The team camaraderie helped Pittsburg State finish sixth as a team at the national meet, earning 31 points. Central Missouri finished fifth with 36 points.

“One of my teammates, Tim Testa, is an extreme motivator,” Jackson said. “I don’t know what place I would have got without him. We push each other every time we see each other at a meet.

“Team motivation is about half the reason you win.”

The MIAA has a lot of motivated track teams. The conference had a great showing at the national meet.

The MIAA's six national championships in men’s and women’s track are more than any other conference, and the six individuals from five schools are the most of any conference as well (if you don't count 4 people for the relays).

Total Track National Championships
MIAA: 6 events, 5 schools, 6 individuals
GLIAC: 5 events, 2 schools, 5 individuals
RMAC: 4 events, 1 school, 3 individuals, 1 relay (Adams State)
Heartland: 4 events, 1 school, 2 individuals, 1 relay (Lincoln)
CIAA: 4 events, 1 school, 2 individuals, 1 relay (St. Augustine's)
GNWAC: 3 events, 2 schools, 2 individuals, 1 relay
NSIC: 3 events, 3 schools, 3 individuals
PSAC: 2 events, 2 schools, 2 individuals

To reach David Boyce, contributing writer for the MIAA, e-mail dboyce@themiaa.com.