LaQuisha Jackson was born to run. As an elementary school student, she joined the track team. And she hasn’t looked back.
“Those were good times back then,” she said during a recent interview. “That’s when I could beat all the boys. I guess I can still beat some of them now.”
“Oh, you can probably outrun all of them,” her coach, Jennifer Mitchell, chimed in.
Jackson, now a junior at Howard School for Academics and Technology, was recently awarded the NAACP Ruby Hurley Image/Reggie White Student Athlete Award. Jackson is the first single female recipient in the history of the award, according to Bryant Lowery, acting vice president of the local branch of the NAACP.
“It means a lot to me,” she said. “I didn’t know I was going to receive it.”
But her coach had no doubts. In Mitchell’s seven years of coaching track at Howard – including five years as head coach – Jackson is the best she’s ever seen.
“Even in the eighth grade, although she was just coming up to compete with high school students, you saw her eagerness and willingness to get better,” Mitchell said.
As for her potential, Mitchell said “I’m afraid to even go there. At the state meet last May, I was just in awe. I said to myself, ‘Did she really just do that?'”
After setting a state record in the 100-yard dash in 11.08 seconds, she ran the 200 in 23.86 seconds, breaking a 32-year-old state mark.
Q: What’s your most memorable track-and-field event?
A: Oh, there are so many, but I guess it was at state last spring. We were far behind in the 800-meter relay, and I caught up. It made me feel so good. I didn’t want to let my team down.
Q: Do you have Olympic dreams?
A: 2016 is a lot of years to wait, and I don’t even know how I’m going to do in my 12th-grade year, but hopefully I will be there in the Olympics.
Q: How important is it for you to participate in sports activities at school?
A: It’s very important. It’s fun and you get to meet a lot of new people, and you can also possibly get a scholarship to college.
Q: What’s your training regimen for track?
A: Playing on the volleyball and basketball teams keeps me fit. So once track season begins in February, I’m in pretty good shape. I just keep up working out to stay that way.
Q: What’s your favorite event?
AThe 100-yard dash. It’s a quick race, and it’s fun.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6285.