Medford’s Cole signs with St. Thomas
Medford track and field standout Jackie Cole poses for a picture in front of the University of St. Thomas logo while wearing her future Tommies’ uniform. Cole signed last week to join the Tommies’ track and field program. Submitted photo
Medford athlete Jackie Cole signed with the University of St. Thomas (UST) last week, officially inking her letter of intent to be a part of the Tommies’ track and field program in 2025.
Cole has been a staple in the Tigers’ lineup both on the track and in field events and has become a multiple-time state participant since beginning her career as an underclassman.
“It feels really good. I’m still like, ‘Oh, I’m going to be competing in college at the Division One level.’ It kind of hasn’t really hit me yet. But obviously it feels amazing to know. Younger me is definitely proud,” said Cole.
According to Cole, the choice to go with UST came down to an overnight visit on campus where she got to see the school and meet her future teammates.
“I went and toured St. Thomas’s campus and had an overnight stay with the team, and oh my gosh… it was amazing. I loved everything about it. I loved the campus and how it felt like a home, and the team was great. That’s how I came to the conclusion that I wanted to go there,” said Cole.
Another selling point for Cole was the opportunity to potentially break the starting lineup early on in her career.
According to the senior, the Tommies have shown interest in having Cole on their traveling roster, meaning she will accompany the team to away meets as well.
As a multi-event athlete, Cole will also compete in both her usual 100- and 200-meter dashes as well as her staple event: the long jump.
Cole’s résumé as a Tiger includes a school record in the long jump, with a leap of 17 feet, six inches, as well as a personal best, fourth-place finish at state.
The senior is also the record holder in the 200-meter dash, with a time of 25.99 seconds.