INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (May 18, 2023)-The NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Track and Field and Cross Country Committee has announced the participants for the 2023 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships First Round competitions.
 
Morgan State junior Tia Jackson was on today's list of qualifiers and will participate in the women's long jump at the East Region Preliminary Meet Wednesday, May 24 to Saturday, May 27 hosted by the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla.
 
Jackson is scheduled to compete on Thursday, May 25 at 6 p.m. at Jax Track at Hodges Stadium.
 
"Being selected means a lot to me because since I was a freshman, I have constantly been faced with many injuries which negatively impacted my performance," said Jackson. "So, by being selected is amazing because even with having an injury now, I still managed to get selected, and it shows the potential I have if my body is at its 100%."
 
The qualifiers out of the East Region and the West Region, which will be hosted by California State University, Sacramento, will compete in the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships held June 7-10 in Austin, Texas.
 
"It's always exciting when you get an opportunity to compete in any of the NCAA Championship rounds," said Morgan State head coach Neville Hodge. "Tia has worked really hard all season and stayed committed to the process."
 
"Coach [Janice] Smythe has done a tremendous job mentoring and coaching her (Tia Jackson) and we are so proud of her progress and consistency, and for getting to this level," said Hodge. "She has the ability to advance to the next round, but for now she is just taking it one day at a time as this is her first time".
 
A native of Bristol, United Kingdom, Jackson seemed to have set a personal-best nearly every time she competed. A three-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Field Athlete of the Week selection, Jackson put together a string of five consecutive meet victories in the long jump to close out the regular season after placing second in the season opener.
 
Along the way, she would set three personal-best marks, including her current personal best of 6.21 meters, which she set on her home track while winning gold at the MSU Legacy Meet.
 
A week ago, Jackson successfully defended her MEAC long jump title, by capturing gold at the MEAC Outdoor Championship in Norfolk, Va. She would jump a winning distance of 6.04 meters on her first attempt to repeat as champion. It would be her only jump in the event, as she would hurt her leg. Jackson also added a silver medal with a second-place finish in the high jump.
 
"The season I have had this year has definitely been one of the best," said Jackson. "It shows I am not even up to my full potential yet due to my injuries, but I have constantly been jumping 6 meters which is amazing and especially when I jumped the 6.21 meters it was a great feeling."
 
"One of the most memorable moments is definitely when I jumped 6.21 or at MEAC Championships when I won with only one jump in the long jump, as I couldn't complete the others due to hurting my leg."
 
During the indoor season, Jackson captured gold in both the long jump and high jump at the MEAC Indoor Championships and was named Women's Outstanding Field Athlete of the championships.
 
 
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.