As a college freshman, former Whiteland standout Bella Jackson set the new Lipscomb record in the high jump.
Submitted photo
Bella Jackson’s catalogue of college track and field accomplishments would have impressed had she called it a career at the end of her freshman season.
Turns out the Whiteland graduate is just getting started.
Already the proud owner of three women’s records at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, Jackson and her Bison teammates recently concluded the indoor season and are two meets into outdoor competition.
Jackson in her brief career has represented Lipscomb in numerous events; this season, she’s focused on her specialty, the high jump, as well as the 100-meter hurdles.
“It’s definitely better on my body, but it’s an adjustment because I’m used to doing so much,” said Jackson, who had also long jumped, run the 200-meter dash and competed in the heptathlon (seven events) and pentathlon (five) during the 2021-22 track season.
“I think going to just two events was a mutual decision between me and my (hurdles) coach (Jake Alexander).”
To better demonstrate Jackson’s immediate impact outdoors, her name is in the Bison record book with the standard in the high jump and the second-fastest time in the 110 hurdles (14.80 seconds). She is fourth historically in the heptathlon (4532 points), fifth in long jump (17 feet, 4¾ inches) and claims the 10th-best all-time mark in the 200 (25.76).
Throw in a dizzying array of indoor credentials and the list grows exponentially. This includes Jackson’s time of 9.04 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles and her 5 feet 9¾ inches in the high jump.
All told, the sophomore possesses the program’s top five indoor heights in the high jump, four of the six best in the 60-meter hurdles, the second best pentathlon score and two of the top seven all-time distances in the long jump.
Jackson’s record outdoor high jump is 5-10½, which was set last spring at the ASUN Championships in Jacksonville, Florida. Prior to her arrival, Lipscomb’s top mark, established a decade earlier, was 5-8.
She currently views an even 6-foot as the ultimate.
“My goal right now is to jump over myself,” laughed Jackson, who stands 5 feet 11 inches. “High jumping is definitely my strong suit. If I could potentially make it to the NCAAs in the high jump, that’s the goal I had coming into the season.”
All this from an athlete who had surgery performed the previous June to correct a stress fracture in her left foot, and still became a six-time ASUN freshman of the week when combining the 2022 indoor and outdoor seasons.
Jackson reinjured the same foot this past August, but no surgery was required. She did, however, need to wear a walking boot for two months.
Lipscomb kicked off its outdoor track season at last week’s Yellow Jacket Invite in Atlanta, Georgia, with Jackson taking 11th in the 100 hurdles in 15.47 seconds.
This past weekend, the team competed at the Raleigh Relays hosted by North Carolina State.
“Indoor season is definitely nice because you don’t have to worry about the weather,” Jackson said. “With outdoor season, I think it’s the time to peak, and it’s when it becomes more of a competitive environment.”
Next week’s Joe Walker Invite at the University of Mississippi is the venue in which Jackson produced her best outdoor hurdles time.
Just maybe a time for Jackson to make more history.
