Interview with Jake Lange Jackson Prep

No track pictures so it has to be football.

Senior Jake Lange, Jackson Preparatory was amongst the many athletes who were upset that track season was cut short. "It stinks that I spent some much time practicing hurdles and not being able to compete." This would've been Jake's second year on the Jackson Prep track team, as he ran the 4x800 and 300-meter hurdles.

"I would have to say that the most memorable race I ran was actually my first. Coach Nix bet I couldn't run under a 2:40 for the 4x800 and I went out and proved him wrong by finishing at a 2:20."

Jake decided to join the track team because of his competitive spirit and one of his coaches telling him that track would help him in football. He was a quarterback and long snapper for Prep's football team and eventually decided to take it to the next level by committing to play in college for Southern Miss University.

"My competitive spirit and hard work always drove me to keep going and I proved people wrong by achieving my dream. I wanted to play football in college since I was ten years old, and I'm excited I get to play the sport I love for four more years."

He saw Southern Miss as the best fit for him because of the academic and athletic opportunities they offered. Jake also explained it's exciting to go somewhere different among his peers and be able to work with a new team. He plans on majoring in communications but could change it to education in the future. After graduating from college, Jake possibly sees himself becoming a football coach.

The two coaches that influenced me in my high school years and were Coach Thompson and Coach Black. "Thompson was the one who got me involved in track by helping me work on hurdles, and he always encouraged me to pursue what I was good at. Coach Black was the best football coach I ever had because of what he taught me on and off the field. There was never a dull moment with him; I learned some great life lessons and he always told me to never be complacent."

Jake explains that he enjoyed the mental toughness of running and how people are able to measure their greatness through racing. "What I like most about track was that it didn't involve so many complications like football did such as watching plays or coming up with new game plans."