Track & Field

JacksonWatts

  • position Distance/XC
  • class Sophomore
  • Hometown Slaughters, Ky.
  • High school Madisonville North Hopkins High School

https://www.tfrrs.org/athletes/7891470/Kentucky/Jackson_Watts.html

2022-23 (Sophomore)

Outdoor

  • Placed 2nd in the 2,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 5:53.65 at the UCF Black & Gold Invite

Indoor

  • Placed 19th and set a career best 4:10.22 in the mile at the Vanderbilt Invitational.
  • Placed 18th in the 5000m with a 14:46.32 at the SEC Indoor Track & Field Championships.

Cross Country

  • Set career bests in the 5k (15:47.0) at the EKU tri-meet and in the 8k (24:15.8) at the North Alabama Showcase.
  • Scored points with a 40th place finish (24:32.3) at the SEC Cross Country Championships.

2021-22 (Freshman) 

Outdoor

  • Ran in four outdoor meets, including SEC Championships

  • Won the 3,000m steeplechase (9:10.46) at the Kentucky Invitational

  • Ran collegiate personal bests in the 1,500m (3:52.27) at Florida Relays and 5,000m (14:38.73) at SEC Championships

Indoor

  • Competed in four indoor meets with collegiate personal bests in the mile (4:11.76) and 3,000m (8:17.86) at the McCravy and Music City Challenge, respectively

Cross Country

  • Finished as the third-fastest Wildcat at 57th place (30:51.8) at NCAA Southeast Regionals in the men’s 10K

  • Placed 61st (25:16.0) in the men’s 8K at SEC Championships

  • Ran in the men’s Garnet 8K at FSU Pre-Nationals as one of UK’s top eight runners

  • Led the Cats in the men’s open five mile at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational with a 16th place finish (25:36.0)
  • Competed in the Commodore Classic 8K for his first collegiate race.

High School 

  • Kentucky Gatorade Cross Country Player of the Year 2020-21
  • Kentucky Cross Country State Champion 2020
  • Kentucky state runner-up in the 1600m and 3200m
  • USA Milesplit most improved Cross Country runner of the year

Personal 

  • Birthday: March 1
  • Parents: Wendy and Michael Watts
  • Sibling: Garrett Watts
  • Major: Electrical engineering
  • Hobbies: Snowboarding, wakeboarding, biking and swimming
  • Fun fact: Has ran with Craig Engles
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