麻花视频

Admittedly, despite being one of the fastest runners in the state, he鈥檚 always struggled with coming out of the blocks to start a race.

But on the track, it鈥檚 not about how you start, but how you finish 鈥� and the same could be true about his track career.

Jones ended his career at Martinsville High School as one of the school鈥檚 most decorated athletes in recent memory. A three-sport athlete, he was an all-state running back on the Bulldogs football team and won five state championships on the track.

But Jones鈥� high school career still felt unfinished. In 2023, the spring of his senior year, he broke his collarbone just before the start of the outdoor track season and was unable to compete that spring, which likely affected his college recruitment.

Jones decided to start his college career running track at Patrick & Henry Community College, where he excelled, finishing 11th at the 2024 NJCAA D-III Outdoor Track & Field national championships in both the 100-meter dash and as the anchor leg of the Patriots 4x100-meter relay team.

When Patriots track coach Andre Kidd left to take the same position at Ferrum College, he texted Jones to let him know there was a spot for him with the Panthers if he鈥檇 like it.

Jones jumped at the opportunity, not only because it was a chance to run track at a four-year school, but it was also a chance to get back on the gridiron.

鈥淚 was missing football a lot,鈥� Jones said in a phone call this week. 鈥淚 took it as an opportunity and said, 鈥楲et鈥檚 do it.鈥欌��

Jones spent the fall as a freshman defensive back with the Panthers, appearing in four games.

鈥淚t was good. I felt a little rusty at first,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 felt like I had to start all over. ... I had to put some work in and get my momentum back.鈥�

The start of the indoor track season didn鈥檛 quite go as planned. Jones had tweaked his hamstring during football, which he said 鈥渒ind of set me back a little bit.鈥�

The first few months of the indoor season were spent rebuilding his strength and simply getting better than he was in high school.

鈥淭he start of indoor was a little rough for me because I came in running times that I ran at P&H, ... times I ran in high school, so that was not acceptable for me,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t took me like, maybe, a good two months, a month-and-a-half to get back right, but by the time the ODAC championships came in indoor, I was good.

鈥淎lso, even in high school, my block start was the worst, so I knew I had to really sit down and get my technique right on my block start so I could get the speed I need.鈥�

Jones ran a season-best time of 6.88 in the 60-meter dash at the ODAC indoor track championships for a fourth-place finish. He added an 11th-place finish in the 200-meter dash.

鈥淚 kind of started off kind of bad, but I locked in with myself and I feel good about everything,鈥� he said.

It was a great start, but Jones wasn鈥檛 quite satisfied. His time in the 60 was enough to qualify for the NCAA D-III national championships, but it was tied with four other runners across the country. The five-way tie was sent to a committee to pick which of the runners would be able to compete at nationals.

鈥淢y coach had called me one morning and said I had made indoor nationals,鈥� Jones said. 鈥�(But) they sent it to the committee and the committee didn鈥檛 pick me to go to nationals.

鈥淪o that fueled my fire the most going into outdoor.鈥�

Jones focused on his starts for the outdoor track season, which he said also had a rough beginning.

鈥淚 had top-end speed, I just couldn鈥檛 get my drive off of my block start,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut after I sat down, we did a couple drills, worked on my start, everything came together.鈥�

It was late spring when Jones really shined. He was named the ODAC men鈥檚 track athlete of the week on April 8 after running what was then the best time in the nation in the 100. At the conference outdoor championships, he finished fourth in the 100 and was a member of the Panthers鈥� 4x100-meter relay team that also finished fourth.

This time, he didn鈥檛 leave it to a committee or chance. Jones qualified outright for the outdoor track national championships in both the 100 and 200.

He called the national championship weekend in Geneva, Ohio, 鈥渧ery humbling鈥� but overall 鈥渁 great experience.鈥� He was a little thrown by the weather because, despite being held in late May, it was colder than he expected.

He finished 14th in both of his events at nationals and earned second-team All-America honors.

鈥淚t was a great experience, and I鈥檒l definitely be back,鈥� Jones said.

Jones鈥� college football career was short-lived, but for good reason. Ferrum moved up to NCAA Division II this month, so he鈥檚 decided to put all of his focus on track.

He said this offseason is all about going back to basics.

鈥淭his offseason, I鈥檓 going back to ground level 1,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淚鈥檓 trying to rebuild my whole strength pallet again. I鈥檓 breaking everything down and starting from Round 1. I鈥檓 trying to be as technical as I can coming in this year. My block starts started to get better this year going into nationals, so I鈥檓 focusing on my block start. I鈥檓 just building my strength all the way over again.鈥�

Ferrum will have a much different track team this winter, thanks in large part to them moving up a division. Jones has been told there will be more than 60 athletes on the team, which he thinks will continue to push him to get better.

鈥淚鈥檓 just looking forward to everybody coming back, being strong and healthy,鈥� he added. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just trying to put our name out there even more than we did last year and continue the greatness.鈥�

He鈥檚 excited that Ferrum will move up to D-II because it鈥檚 an opportunity for him to keep moving up the ladder.

After a disappointing end to his high school career, Jones called his college success 鈥渁 dream.鈥�

鈥淚t feels great. I鈥檓 extremely grateful because track has a lot of ups and downs and it鈥檚 been a rough season, a rough and long season. So to come out like that, I can鈥檛 even complain,鈥� he said.

鈥淎s a kid, I always dreamed about going Division I, but I ended up going Division III, and going Division II is helping me get a step forward to my goal. I 鈥� can just put in some more work and get ready to move.鈥�

鈥淭hese are only things I could have dreamed of at one point, but I鈥檓 very grateful.鈥�