Senior focus – Andrew Jackson

0

Andrew Jackson said he has to make good use of his spare time, whether it’s a study hall at school or a couple of free hours in the evenings at home.

The reason the Crothersville senior doesn’t have much free time is because he ran cross-country and track both for four years, basketball for two years, and he plans to add baseball to his list of sports this spring.

He said he has had to learn how to make the most of his free time since he is taking some college prep courses and has had to work his study time around his sports practices.

“I had to learn how to practice my sports and have time to do my homework,” he said.

Jackson played basketball his freshman year but sat out the past two season before returning to the court this winter.

“I came out this year because of my friends,” Jackson said. “Since I sat out a couple years, I never really developed my ball-handling. I’m mostly a post player.

Jackson said it depends who else is on the floor for the Tigers as to where he plays on defense.

“I play under the basket unless Eli (Mollett) is in there, and then I step out more on the wing,” he said.

In order for the Tigers to get some momentum going into the sectional, Jackson feels the team needs to cut down on their turnovers and improve their rebounding.

“We’re going to need teamwork and getting used to boxing out more,” Jackson said. “That is our biggest problem.”

He said his favorite event in track is the 400, although he believes he will likely run the 800 a lot this spring. His favorite relay is the 1,600 relay.

Jackson said his fastest 400 time last spring was 1:03, which he ran at the sectional.

“I like meeting new people from different teams,” Jackson said of track. “You don’t have to be angry at people all the time. You can step up and be friends.”

When joining cross-country, Jackson was unsure that the sport would stick.

“I tried cross-country to get out of basketball conditioning, but I fell in love with it,” he said. “The track coach (Carl Bowman) is the cross-country coach, too, so I continued to double. I liked the friendly environment of the track and cross country teams.”

He said his goal in cross-country was to lower his time throughout the season.

“I would go out and try to beat my PR from past meets,” Jackson said. “Most of the time I did that. I liked the flat courses.”

Jackson’s best time was a 24:40 he ran at the sectional at Brown County.

This spring, Jackson hopes to help the baseball team by playing a lot of outfield.

Jackson said you always want to have a positive outlook in practice and in the games.

“Even if you are having a bad day, and you are on a relay, you have to step up, otherwise you’ll drag the whole team down,” he said.

“Practice is probably the most important thing about it, otherwise you’ll just set yourself up for failure.”

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”At a glance” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

Name: Andrew Jackson

Parents: Dawn and James Jackson

Siblings: Justin, Nate, Josh

Sports: Basketball, four years; cross-country, four years; track and field, four years; baseball, one year

Plans after high school: Attend Manchester University

Favorite food: Salad

Favorite team: Detroit Lions

[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Q&A” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

Q: Are there any moments from your sports career that stand out?

A: “Mine would probably be last year when I beat my personal record in the 400 in the sectional.”

Q: Do you have a favorite basketball court?

A: “I love the environment of the home games. I like the sunken gyms like Orleans and West Washington.”

Q: Have you enjoyed your time at CHS?

A: “It’s my favorite school to be at. I like the small environment of it. The friends I’ve made through sports is probably the best thing about it.”

[sc:pullout-text-end]

No posts to display