On Friday, March 28, 2014, Cheltenham senior Katelyn Jackson was recognized at a special news conference for signing a letter of intent to compete in track at UCLA. To view photos of the signing, please visit the Photo Gallery.
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Katelyn Jackson – UCLA (Track)
Major: Something in the science field
Final list of colleges: UCLA, San Diego State, Berkeley
Reasons for choosing UCLA: “I definitely wanted to be out west. I looked at San Diego State, and I actually got pretty close to going to Berkeley. They were the first school to make an offer for me, and originally, UCLA wasn’t that interested, but UCLA came and swept me away. They actually made me an offer I couldn’t refuse, being my dream school aside.
“It was a couple of days before the state meet. The coach called my mom, and she was on the phone and took a piece of paper and wrote ‘UCLA.’ She got off the phone and said, ‘They’re offering you a scholarship.’ The next day the coach called me. He told me he has a scholarship. He told me that more importantly than just being fast, he wanted someone to be a Bruin, someone who loved UCLA and everything it’s about. I told him that’s definitely me – my mom being an alum and me wanting to go there since eighth grade, so it’s a pretty good fit.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in track at the collegiate level? “Definitely since I started running, I never really thought about stopping. I knew it had the potential to pay for my college tuition, so that’s definitely a big factor. At the beginning of the school year, I had a conversation with my coach about picking colleges. He said that depending on the choice you make, it’s sort of deciding to run track the next four years and just do it to pay for school or deciding to really commit to track and make a career out of it. I think with UCLA – hopefully, I do make a career out of it because that’s a great school.”
Coach Kelly Jensen says: “I asked her when she was a freshman, ‘Do you want to run in college?’ She said, ‘Yes, I want to run at UCLA.’ I said, ‘We better get to work.’ That’s been her goal from the very beginning, and she’s been very committed. She went over to Springside because she thought it was the right thing to do athletically and academically, and that’s fine, but she came back. She knew she wanted to be with her friends, but the important thing is she’s grown in the level of commitment it takes, she’s grown in terms of understanding the workload and the work ethic, and I think she’s grown as a young woman who’s a team leader. She’s respected on the team. I think she makes good, mature decisions, and she’s going to a school where they have a rich tradition, and they’re trying to restore that rich tradition. She’s excited to be a part of it.
“Winning a state championship last year in the 200 meters convinced her that she can do this. This year she won the 60m and was fourth in the 200m, and we won the 4x200 and the team title, and I think it’s largely because she’ll take that relay, and she’ll craft them. You need somebody that’s going to be a positive influence, and it’s a different voice. She’s going to be a team captain this year, and I think she’s earned it.
“We won indoors because of her efforts, and we think we can win outdoors because of her efforts. These kids are very competitive. They ran at a very high level all year long. They were ranked number two and three in the country, largely because of Katelyn’s ability to finish, and we plan on doing that outdoors, largely because of her inspiration and leadership.
“Katelyn comes from a really solid family, and I think that really helps these kids excel. They’re good, solid people. They’ve raised her well. She knows right from wrong, and she’ll contribute at UCLA. She’ll be valuable for them.”
About Katelyn:
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite movie: The Little Mermaid
Favorite music: Beyonce
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