Winter sports are in motion, and the winter track team is enjoying a strong season under the leadership of head coach Mr. Steve Moll. One standout athlete, Jet Dickerson ‘26, is having a phenomenal season with personal best times and hopes to continue his momentum as the season progresses.
Jet Dickerson’s journey began when he was just six years old. At a young age, he joined a competitive track club specializing in sprints and long jump.
His dedication and hard work paid off immediately, consistently earning gold or silver medals in the long jump event at nearly every Indoor National Championship. His early success motivated him to set more goals and strive for more success.
Besides the long jump and sprint events, Dickerson also does javelin. He was introduced to it because no one else on his team was willing to do it. He took action and pursued it, along with the other events in his toolbox, and he has found it to prove fruitful. Dickerson broke the school’s Inter-Ac Javelin record twice with a throw of 132 feet, 5 inches in his freshman year. He also placed 2nd in the 55-meter hurdles at the Indoor PAISAA Championships his freshman year.
With an astounding freshman year, he hoped to carry on his achievements and success into sophomore year. But during his sophomore year, he faced many obstacles, hitting a plateau and struggling to improve on times and distances across all events.
More determined than ever, he spent the next summer and fall heading into junior year training harder than ever before, and the results speak for themselves. Most notably, Dickerson ran a 22.82 in the 200m. He also ran a 51.54 in the 400m and 7.86 in the 55m hurdles which ranks him third in the state of Pennsylvania. Additionally, he set a personal record with a distance of 21 feet 3 inches in the long jump.
“Jet has had an amazing track career, but has really proved exceptional over the past two seasons of Spring and our current Winter Season. He is truly the backbone of our team, as both an athlete and a leader,” Mr. Moll said. “Extremely talented, he is able to compete in a swath of events, both field and running. Last spring, he dipped his toes in the 300m Hurdles, a new event for him, and broke out as our top athlete in this event, placing 3rd in our Inter-Ac championship. This event opened the door to him being a member of the 4×400 team, where he contributes to a group that is only 1 second away from the school record.”
Dickerson, a very versatile athlete who takes on many different events, is always up to his many challenges. Dickerson’s resilience has paid off and he hopes to succeed at the meets he has left in the season.
“This season, in Winter Track, he has excelled in the Long Jump, 55m Hurdles, 55m, 200m, 400m and 4x400m. He is a Swiss army knife that can be inserted into any event and score points for the team. He has dropped times and increased jumps tremendously this season, most impressively in the Hurdles and Long Jump,” Mr.Moll said. “The only downside of his success is that we are only allowed to enter one athlete in a maximum of 4 events. It would be nice if we had a second Jet to do all the events!”
The winter PAISAA Championship is approaching on Feb. 16 at the University of Pennsylvania Ott Center.
Dickerson has been an outstanding leader on the winter track team and hopes for the team’s success with what is left of the season. He also helps teach new athletes how to properly start, hurdle, long jump, and just about anything he can help with. Dickerson’s attitude and enthusiasm have left behind positive effects on the team and have driven the team forward.
Dickerson’s dedication to supporting the athletes and forming lasting connections has left behind and continues to have a lasting impact at GA. Dickerson is truly an inspiration to others and is a great person to be around. As he nears the end of his high school career, his influence and contributions will extend far beyond the GA community.