Kennedy Jones '19 Recruiting Profile

My life so far has been great. Not saying I haven’t had my ups and downs, but saying that where the ups and downs have put me is a greater position than I could have ever asked for. My story began developing around the age of 4, when my parents separated. This began the whirlwind of events that landed me here, searching for a college. My mom, sister and I lived together in Kansas City for a while before moving to Fremont, Nebraska and finally meeting my stepdad, Chad. Growing up with my sister and occasionally a nanny made me learn the importance of maturity and how without a certain level of it, I wouldn’t have been able to communicate with adults or even peers to help me further my future.

    I’ve been running since before I could remember. I like to think that I ran out of the womb. After my father became less of an essential part in my life, I always seeked out his approval after hearing the stories of his college athlete days. I wanted to be good at something that he had coached and participated in himself, leading me down a path of running that I wouldn’t change a single thing about.

    Through my participation in track and field (and cross country) all four years of my high school career I’ve learned endless things about myself. After qualifying my freshman year for state track (and qualifying every year after) I learned that I am bigger than myself and can compete with the best of the best.  I learned that I am very competitive and thrive in a challenging athletic environment with other competitive athletes due to the want to be better. I also learned that I sometimes can initially be upset by criticism until I step back and understand where the critic is coming from. Once I know what I’m doing incorrectly or what can be fixed that becomes the main goal, and I work adamantly until I’ve got it down.

    My academic goals for high school have always been to challenge myself to the point where I am satisfied with the level of education I’ve achieved and until I’m proud to relay my accomplishments. For college, the goal is the same, if not more intense. I want to pursue higher education and prepare myself for the workforce by being well educated and informed on what I want to do.

    When I was younger I struggled with my level of competitiveness and my reactions/ emotions after races. As I grew up I began to understand the link between dedication and performance. After I learned this, I became less upset in general at the ends of races and paid more attention to the things I was doing at practice that led up to my own performance.

    I’m very talkative and I love making connections with people. The fact that I try to communicate so much with others and have no problem with lots of responsibility also helps me greatly in being a leader. I’m also very competitive and love the idea of self/team improvement. I try to be positive and always put my happiest foot forward towards whatever adversity I might face.