From the moment Sherrelle Jordan, junior general studies major, began running, she knew track and field was the sport for her.
“Ever since I put on my first pair of spikes, I haven’t stopped running,” she said.
Jordan began running at a young age in her home state of Arizona with a local track team.
“My aunt is actually the head of the track team [called] the Arizona Cheetahs, and my family grew up in the program,” said Jordan.
Jordan attended Chandler High School, where she ran track and field all four years. Jordan then attended Southern University at Baton Rouge where she was also a member of the track and field team for one season. In 2015, she ran her first season with NSU and finished third overall in the 100-meter hurdles at the Division II NCAA Championship. Jordan explained her passion for track and field.
How did you end up at NSU?
“I actually transferred from my first school, Louisiana Southern University, because both the coach who recruited me and my event coach left. So one of my trainers back in Arizona knew Coach Booth’s coach while she was at FAU, so she connected me. Then I came out for a visit, and I loved it here.”
Did you play any other sports growing up?
“In middle school, I played volleyball, but I was too uncoordinated. I played soccer, and, surprisingly, it was too much running.”
What events do you run?
“The 100-meter hurdles, the 4×100, and now Coach Cousins has me on the 4×400 team. I’ve also been running the 200, too, to help with my speed.”
Do you plan to continue running after college?
“If I had the opportunity, I would take it.”
If you don’t continue running, what would you want to do career-wise?
“I actually plan on receiving a master’s in education for school counseling. I want to open my own afterschool program for at-risk youth.”
What is the hardest aspect of being a runner?
“5 a.m. practices every morning. It can be very difficult. It becomes a cycle — you wake up, go to practice, and go to school. You have very little time for the other things you want to do, like extracurricular activities.”
What is the most rewarding part of being on NSU’s track and field team?
“Seeing the progress and the outcomes of your own hard work. It’s great to see it pay off and be successful. And one of my favorite things about being a Division II athlete is that we get to go to Division I schools, and I get to beat people who are actually [Division I]. They try to act like [Division II] schools don’t have any competition, and it’s funny because we can end up being better than half of their teams.”
How would you describe yourself as an athlete?
“Fierce. I am a competitor. I’m not going to let anyone beat me. They’ll have to work extra hard, and they won’t outwork me.”
What has been your greatest accomplishment?
“I’m still in college. It’s hard, especially being a student athlete, but I’m still here. A number of my family members couldn’t handle the pressure and dropped out, but I just filled out my application for graduation, even though it’s next year. And I’m planning on going to graduate school and furthering my education.”
If you could run against any professional runner, who would it be?
“Christian Manning. She is a phenomenal hurdler. I love watching her. I got to see her run one time when I was in New Mexico, and it was amazing how quick she is in between the hurdles.”
