Athletes strive to improve within their own sport, so as to excel and triumph over others. Sure, an athlete can get better at their respective sport year after year, but not many can say they have accomplished as much as Jackson Reams, who has quickly climbed the ladder to the top. The junior cross country runner has swiftly become one of the most feared runners in the state.
"Considering I kind of walked on to the team, going from average to one of the top in the county is pretty cool," says Reams, who remains modest about his improvement.
One of the best in the county is right. Reams finished second in his heat at the Manhattan Invitational on October 10, with an exceptional time of 12:56.04. His time beat reigning state champion, Whitman’s Andrew Palmer, who ran a time of 12:59.90. Not only was Reams’ time the fastest of any Montgomery County athlete on the day, it brought him a lot of attention from other runners and coaches in the area.
However, Reams has not always had the spotlight on him. Last year as a sophomore, he had to bide his time behind two of the county’s best, graduated seniors Solomon Haile and Kyle Balderson. Although Reams would have loved to be the top runner on the team, he knew that he was sitting behind some good competition. "Solomon [Haile] from last year, and Kyle Balderson were kind of like my big brothers, in a way," says Reams explaining his pride in being counted among them.
While Reams was improving under the wings of Haile and Balderson, other members of the team took notice. "His attitude has changed," says senior captain Daniel Portner. "Before, he wasn’t as concerned with running, but once he realized he was talented, he said that he wanted to beat Kyle [Balderson]. He made that his goal, and he always seemed to be running with Kyle."
Most recently, Jackson finished fifth overall in the Maryland State Championship meet on November 14 with an excellent time of 17:22, on Hereford High School’s course, known to be one of the hardest courses in the country because of its harsh terrain.
Jackson has clearly shown improvements in his running in order to get to the elite level that he is at now, but he has also imporved in other ways. "Jackson’s work ethic, which was good coming in, has gotten better," says cross country coach Dan Reeks. "He is aware of, and willing to do, the work needed to become a top distance runner in a county with many of the top distance runners in the DC Metro region as well as the state."
Reams’s intangibles have also been noticed by his peers. "He’s one of the best runners I’ve run with, including Solomon [Haile]," explains Portner. "He may be the most motivated runner that I’ve been a teammate with, and I think that speaks to his determination."