Jackson Ferguson has quietly put together a strong junior season. The Golden junior has won all five of his races this season, most recently picking up another victory at the Mead Stampede, where he crossed the line in 15:15.
But Ferguson's resume goes well beyond his results this fall. Last fall, he finished fourth at the Colorado 5A Cross Country State Championships before running a big personal best of 14:49.33 to place 12th in the championship race at NXR Southwest.
This year, he will enter the postseason with a slightly different landscape in front of him.
Proven At The State Level
Ferguson has spent the past year establishing himself among Colorado's top distance runners. Following his impressive fourth place finish at the 5A state cross country championships, Ferguson carried that momentum onto the track.
Last spring, he finished runner-up in the 5A 3200 meters, as a sophomore. His personal bests showcase plenty of range, including 1:55.14 for 800 meters, 4:17.57 in the mile and 8:58.78 for the indoor two-mile. Now he is back for more this cross country season.
"For junior season, I really am looking to put myself in the national conversation," Ferguson said. "Colorado has really good competition right now, so focusing on racing well at state is the priority for progressing up to the national stage."
A New Look At State
One thing will look a little different when Ferguson reaches the postseason: Golden High School has moved from Class 5A to Class 4A.
That means Ferguson will not return to the same state championship field in which he placed fourth last fall. Instead, he will enter a new 4A landscape with plenty of competition at the top, bringing with him the experience of already racing near the front of Colorado's largest classification.
"The shift from 5A to 4A changed our perspective in the team aspect a lot, but as an individual my mindset stayed the same," Ferguson said. "4A is still really good competition, so trying to improve on that fourth last year and break into the top three is my main focus."
More To Come
So far, Ferguson has taken care of every race in front of him this fall. His 15:15 victory at the Mead Stampede was the latest addition to a strong junior campaign. But the biggest tests are still to come.
"My main goal for XC for sure is to make NXN," Ferguson said. "I missed it by a couple seconds last year, so going in this year I'm pretty hungry to go to Portland."
That near miss has added some extra motivation entering the championship portion of the season.
"I've been underrated, as an individual and as a team, my whole high school career, so I take pride in proving people wrong," Ferguson said. "I think I have a really good shot at doing that this upcoming championship season."
Fourth in 5A cross country last fall. Runner-Up in the 3200 meters in the spring. Now, a new challenge awaits in 4A. For Ferguson, October will provide the opportunity to see just how far this season can go.
Jackson Ferguson has quietly put together a strong junior season. The Golden junior has won all five of his races this season, most recently picking up another victory at the Mead Stampede, where he crossed the line in 15:15.
But Ferguson's resume goes well beyond his results this fall. Last fall, he finished fourth at the Colorado 5A Cross Country State Championships before running a big personal best of 14:49.33 to place 12th in the championship race at NXR Southwest.
This year, he will enter the postseason with a slightly different landscape in front of him.