Santa Rosa Press Democrat // News for California's North Bay and Redwood Empire

Low-tech edition (About)

DATE: Tuesday, May 16, 2006
BYLINE: By RICH RUPPRECHT
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

SECOND SHOT FOR INJURED RUNNER: ELSIE ALLEN'S JOSH JACKSON MISSED NBL FINALS,
BUT RUNS TODAY IN BID FOR EMPIRE MEET

One of the Empire's hottest track questions last week was ``Where's Josh?''
Josh Jackson, the tall, muscular Elsie Allen sprinter with the perfect running form, was missing from
the North Bay League Championship meet, a year after he'd won the 200 and 400 meters in the same meet.
Jackson, who ranks among the top sprinters all-time in the Empire, pulled a hamstring muscle in the
100 meters at the Viking Classic two weeks ago and, along with Elsie Allen coach Robert Gray, decided to
forgo the NBL meet and file for an injury hardship, giving his hamstring a few more days rest.
At 4 p.m. today at Montgomery, Jackson, 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, must race the NBL fifth-place finishers
in the 200 and 400 for the right to advance to the weekend's Redwood Empire meet at San Marin in Novato,
which determines qualifiers for the North Coast Section's Meet of Champions.
``It's feeling better,'' Jackson said of the hamstring last weekend. ``I've rested it. I think it's
about 90 percent.''
To say the injury came at an inopportune time is an understatement.
Jackson, who ranks fifth all-time in the Empire in the 200 (21.74) and sixth in the 400 (48.95), was
determined to have a better showing this season at MOC and ultimately reach the state meet, where he hoped
to showcase his running skills in front of college coaches.
``I thought I was running a lot stronger this year,'' Jackson said. ``I had a personal trainer, and he
pushed me to a new level.''
Jackson's injury came in the 100 at Montgomery after he'd already won the 400. He was determined to beat
Jesse Bethel's Bobby Guillory Jr., who had edged him earlier in the season.
Jackson was leading the rematch when he felt a twinge in his hamstring and cruised the final 10 meters to
finish second to Guillory.
Sprinters can sometimes be temperamental and consumed with themselves. Not so Jackson, said Gray.
``He's well-liked, he's never grouchy and he's a fighter,'' the coach said.
Gray sees Jackson as another coach for the seven-man Elsie Allen team. He's a team captain.
Jackson grew up in Santa Rosa, but moved to Oaklahoma during middle school and early high school. He
played football and ran relays for two of Tulsa's top high schools, Jenks and Union. He made the state meet
there on both 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams.
Jackson said it was ``different'' returning to Santa Rosa and enrolling at Elsie Allen last year. He went
from schools with 4,500 in enrollment that reached the state level in athletics every year to Elsie Allen,
which has struggled in sports. Jackson tried football, but sprained his knee.
Jackson never saw himself as a sprinter until eighth grade, when he ran cross country and a coach told
him to take up track to stay in shape.
In this year's Bay Area Blastoff meet in Berkeley to start the season, Jackson won the 100 and was third
in the 200 in an elite field. Later at Vallejo, he won the 400 and was second in the 200.
Jackson's performances at the MOC last year, with the top-four qualifiers advancing to state, still bother
him. He was seeded first in the 400, qualified for the finals, but then had ``a horrible race.'' He didn't
qualify for the final in the 200.
``The 400 is a strategic race and he didn't choose the right strategy,'' Gray said. ``I think he learned
from that.''
``It was definitely going to be this year,'' Jackson said of reaching his ultimate goal, making it to
state.
Jackson is trying to stay positive and believes his hamstring is all right. He has been icing it and has
had some laser treatments.
Gray said last weekend he couldn't count the number of people inquiring about Jackson and how disappointed
they were in not being able to watch the straight-up running style of Jackson, ala Michael Johnson, the
five-time Olympic gold medalist.
Gray said it would be disappointing if Jackson didn't run in college.
``Sure, he can run faster (in college),'' Gray said. ``A lot of kids fall through the cracks. We've looked
around a little. He's quite a specimen.''

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