Tyson Jackson, junior business management and marketing double major, is going to be one of the top contenders for men’s cross country this year after finishing second on the team last season. 

Jackson is relatively new to cross country, as he only started running competitively his freshman year of high school. He accredits the start of his running career to his mother.  

“I started running cross country my freshman year of high school,” Jackson said. “I got into running by my momma who ran most of her life. I ran with her some and then I fell in love with it.” 

Beginning his junior year of college, Jackson is an upperclassman on the team, which requires him to step into a bigger leadership role than he has been in.  

“One way I plan to help lead my team is by being there for my teammates,” Jackson said. “That’s the best way you can lead people. By knowing their struggles and being there for them if they need help or just to talk to people. Being there for your teammates is what makes it a team.” 

Another key reason Jackson enjoys being on the cross-country team is for the memories he makes with his teammates and the overall feeling of team spirit. 

“My favorite memory on the cross-country team has been the day the team went to the beach,” Jackson said. “We spent hours swimming, walking around Broadway and just hanging out.” 

On top of his undying team spirit, Jackson’s love for competition is one of his favorite parts about being on the cross-country team. 

 “My favorite part of being a part of the cross-country team is the competitive running,” Jackson said. “I love racing against people. I love being able to show my talents and compare myself to other people my age.” 

On top of having to balance being a full-time student-athlete, Jackson also works two jobs. 

Juggling these responsibilities makes time management even more important to him. Nonetheless, Jackson finds that having a set schedule due to cross-country helps keep him organized.  

“Being a student athlete has helped me in a lot of ways,” Jackson said. “It has helped me with time management skills and helped my mental state as well. It puts me in a healthy routine and keeps me in shape. I can get bogged down in everything but having a set schedule really helps and meal prepping is very helpful as well.” 

Having been on campus for two years now, Jackson encourages any incoming student-athletes to remember why they began playing their sport when times get tough.  

“Advice I would give to incoming student-athletes is always remember why you started,” Jackson said. “Hurdles will come and it’s going to seem like you don’t want to continue the sport, but keep in mind why you started and why you love it!” 

Jackson claims he only has one chief role model in his life: God.  

“Honestly, God is my role model,” Jackson said. “As a Christian, I try to be more like Christ every day.”