Akela Jones

Akela Jones (born 22 April 1995) is a Barbadian track and field athlete who holds Barbadian records in the women's heptathlon, pentathlon, long jump and high jump. She won gold in the long jump at the 2014 World Junior Championships. In 2015, she was NCAA champion in the heptathlon and won bronze in the high jump at the Pan American Games.

Akela Jones
Jones in 2016
Personal information
Born (1995-04-22) 22 April 1995
Saint Michael, Barbados
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight77 kg (170 lb)
Sport
Country Barbados
Event(s)Heptathlon
High jump
Long jump
College teamOklahoma Baptist Bison
Kansas State Wildcats
Coached byCliff Rovelto[1]
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)Heptathlon: 6371w/6303 NR (2015)
Long jump: 6.80i NR (2016)
High jump: 1.98 NR (2015)
100 m hurdles: 13.00 (2016)
Pentathlon: 4402i NR (2015)
Medal record
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place2014 EugeneLong jump
Pan American Games
Bronze medal – third place2015 TorontoHigh jump
NACAC U23
Silver medal – second place2016 San SalvadorLong jump
Gold medal – first place2016 San SalvadorHigh jump
2016 San Salvador100 m hurdles
Updated on 26 July 2015.

Early career

Jones first competed in the CARIFTA Games as a 12-year-old in 2008, winning silver in the under-17 girls' high jump with a jump of 1.71 m.[2][3] On 20 March 2009 Jones cleared 1.81 m in Bridgetown; as of July 2015, this remains the age 13 world best.[4][5] At the 2009 CARIFTA Games she repeated her silver from the previous year, clearing 1.80 m to equal the championship record but losing to Jamaica's Petergaye Reid on countback.[6] Jones won her first CARIFTA Games gold medal in 2010, clearing a championship record 1.85 m in the high jump; additionally, she won silver with the Barbadian team in the 4 × 100 metres relay.[7][8] Later that spring, she became the first Barbadian to win a high school event at the Penn Relays, winning the girls' high jump with 1.81 m.[9]

Jones set a national youth and junior record in the women's long jump, 6.18 m, at the 2011 Barbadian CARIFTA Trials.[10] She won two gold medals at the 2011 CARIFTA Games, winning both the high jump (1.75 m) and the long jump (5.66 m).[11] She was selected for her first global meet, the 2011 World Youth Championships in Lille, as a long jumper;[12] jumping 6.10 m in the qualification and 6.04 m in the final, she placed sixth.[7]

In 2012 Jones competed in the CARIFTA Games as an under-20 athlete for the first time, winning gold in the long jump (6.18 m), silver in the high jump (1.80 m) and bronze in the 4 × 100 m relay.[7] At the CAC Junior Championships she won gold medals in both the long jump (6.36 m) and the high jump (1.81 m); her long jump mark was a new championship record and Barbadian junior record, while her high jump mark equaled the championship record.[13] She competed in the long jump at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Barcelona, but was eliminated in the qualification.[14]

Jones enrolled in Oklahoma Baptist University, a NAIA college, after the 2012 season; she had originally intended to go to the NCAA's Kansas State University, but lacked the course credits.[15] During the 2013 indoor season Jones set Barbadian indoor records in both the high jump (1.85 m) and long jump (6.26 m); at the 2013 NAIA indoor championships she won both events, and additionally placed second in the 60 m hurdles.[7] Jones won four medals at the 2013 CARIFTA Games, winning gold in the under-20 long jump (6.19 m) and silver in the high jump, 100 m hurdles and 4 × 100 m relay.[7] At the NAIA outdoor championships she won the long jump, high jump and 100 m hurdles and placed second in the flat 100 m.[16]

2014

Jones set a Barbadian indoor record in women's pentathlon, 4194 points, in Wichita on 31 January 2014.[7] She repeated as NAIA indoor champion in both the high jump and long jump, and also won the pentathlon and 60 m hurdles; in addition, she placed second in the flat 60 m, leading the Oklahoma Baptist women to a team championship.[17] At her final CARIFTA Games appearance in April 2014, Jones won the under-20 women's long jump (6.32 m), high jump (1.84 m) and 100 m hurdles (13.55); she received the Austin Sealy Award as the most outstanding athlete of the meet.[18][19] The following month, she repeated as NAIA outdoor champion in the long jump, high jump and 100 m hurdles; her winning mark in the long jump (6.55 m) was a new Barbadian record.[7][20]

At the 2014 World Junior Championships in Eugene, Oregon Jones won gold in the long jump, jumping 6.34 m into a strong headwind; she was the first Barbadian ever to win a World Junior Championship medal.[21] She also qualified for the high jump final, but decided to skip it after the long jump gold to avoid aggravating a minor knee problem.[21] In recognition of her achievements in 2014, Jones was named Barbadian Sportspersonality of the Year.[22]

2015

Jones transferred from Oklahoma Baptist to Kansas State University for the 2014–15 season.[15][23] She had a successful 2015 indoor season, winning the Big 12 Conference long jump title and setting Barbadian indoor records in the long jump (6.64 m) and pentathlon (4402 points); her long jump mark ranked second in the NCAA that year, behind Jenna Prandini of Oregon.[7][24] At the NCAA indoor championships she placed fourth in the high jump and sixth in the long jump.[24]

Outdoors, Jones made her heptathlon debut at the Jim Click Invitational in Tucson, breaking the Barbadian record with her tally of 6049 points.[25] At the Big 12 outdoor championships she placed second in three events – the 100 m hurdles, high jump and long jump.[7] The second heptathlon of Jones's career was at the 2015 NCAA outdoor championships in Eugene; she won the championship with a wind-aided total of 6371 points, defeating defending champion Kendell Williams of Georgia.[1] Jones's day one score, 4023 points, marked the first time an NCAA heptathlete had reached 4000 points after four events; her two-day total placed her fourth (behind Diane Guthrie-Gresham, Brianne Theisen-Eaton and Jackie Joyner-Kersee) on the collegiate all-time list and broke Austra Skujytė's Kansas State record.[26][27] In her other event at the NCAA championships, the high jump, Jones equaled her personal best of 1.87 m and placed fourth; the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named her Women's National Field Athlete of the Year in NCAA Division I.[26]

In July 2015, Jones represented Barbados at the Pan American Games in Toronto, clearing 1.91 m to win bronze in the women's high jump. In addition, she placed sixth in the long jump with 6.60 m; both marks were new Barbadian outdoor records.[7]

2016

Outdoors, Jones made her heptathlon debut at the Mt SAC Relays winning with a score of 6307 in April. Akela Jones won long jump with a jump of 6.75 m (22 ft 1+1⁄2 in) at Big 12 Conference in May. At Akela's second heptathlon at 2016 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, she placed third scoring 6063. In July, Jones won high jump at NACAC U23 Championships and placed 2nd and 4th in long jump and 100 m Hurdles. In August, Jones competed in the Olympic heptathlon and high jump. She placed 20th in the heptathlon[28] and did not make the finals for the high jump.[29] She was chosen to serve as flag bearer for Barbados in the Olympic closing ceremonies.[30]

Personal bests
Other bests

References
  1. "Kansas State's Akela Jones claims heptathlon title at NCAA nationals". ESPN. 12 June 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  2. Toppin, Sherrylyn A. (23 April 2014). "Akela's golden legacy". Nationnews Barbados. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  3. Foster, Anthony (24 March 2008). "Records fall – CARIFTA Games, Day TWO". International Association of Athletics Federations. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  4. Eisold, Dominique. "International Age Records".
  5. Butler, Mark, ed. (2013). "IAAF World Championships Statistics Handbook Moscow 2013". IAAF Media & Public Relations Department: 486. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. Finisterre, Terry (12 April 2009). "James' 45.45sec beats Bolt's mark; Nero well inside 27yr-old record - CARIFTA Games, Day 2". International Association of Athletics Federations. Archived from the original on 20 April 2009.
  7. Akela Jones at Tilastopaja (registration required)
  8. "Jones, Wright smash records on opening Carifta Games day". Guyana Chronicle. April 4, 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  9. "Excitement Continues on Day Two!". Penn Relays. 23 April 2010. Archived from the original on 6 May 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  10. Harvey, Petra (4 April 2011). "Jones sets new junior long jump record at CARIFTA trials". The Barbados Advocate. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  11. Finisterre, Terry (25 April 2011). "Four meet records fall in Montego Bay - CARIFTA Games, Day 2". International Association of Athletics Federations. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  12. Harris, Alan (28 June 2011). "Former Olympian Bailey wins 200m; disqualified in 100m". The Barbados Advocate. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  13. "Record leaps for Akela". Nationnews Barbados. 1 July 2012. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  14. Akela Jones at World Athletics
  15. Marville, Justin (30 May 2014). "Akela's leap to Kansas". Nationnews Barbados. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  16. Gooding, Petra (26 May 2013). "Akela Jones shines at NAIA championship". The Barbados Advocate. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  17. "2014 NAIA Indoor National Championships Finals Recap". NAIA. 8 March 2014. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  18. "Jones wins Austin Sealy Award". Nationnews Barbados. 21 April 2014. Archived from the original on 31 October 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  19. Lawrence, Kwame (21 April 2014). "CARIFTA 2014 DAY 3 UPDATES – Golden Clarke; T&T 2nd". Trinidad Express. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  20. "www.barbadosadvocate.com/newsitem.asp?more=sports&NewsID=36534". The Barbados Advocate. 24 May 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  21. Gooding, Petra (31 July 2014). "Golden girl returns home". The Barbados Advocate. Archived from the original on 23 October 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  22. Gooding, Petra (19 January 2015). "Akela Jones takes top sports award". The Barbados Advocate. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  23. "Region Athletes & Coaches of the Year for NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Announced". U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). 6 March 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  24. "Nominees Announced for Class of 2015 Honda Sport Award for Track & Field". Collegiate Women Sports Awards. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  25. "Barbados Athletics: Akela Jones sets new national record". Digicel Sportsmax. 11 April 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  26. "National Athletes of the Year for 2015 NCAA DI Outdoor T&F Announced". USTFCCCA. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  27. Morse, Jon (11 June 2015). "K-State's Akela Jones destroys heptathlon, breaks Austra Skujyte's school record". Bring On The Cats. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  28. "Rio 2016". Rio 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-08-06. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
  29. "Rio 2016". Rio 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-08-26. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
  30. "The Flagbearers for the Rio 2016 Closing Ceremony". 2016-08-21. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
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