Jackson Braddock Commits To University of Virginia

Sep 03, 2020

This past week Jackson Braddock, a State Champion distance runner at Southern Regional HS, announced he has committed to the University of Virginia. Braddock is one of the best distance returners in the nation on the track and the trails, ranked No. 14 nationally this fall and No. 1 in New Jersey.

"The moment I knew UVA was the school for me was after hearing Coach Lananna's vision for the program. His storied resume makes me confident that UVA will soon be a distance running powerhouse."

Braddock continued stating how well rounded UVA was for his goals, "When picking a school, there were a few things I had in mind. I wanted a great group of guys to run with, a Coach that I trusted, and a great education to go with it. UVA checked those boxes and more for me."

Braddock also had Villanova, Syracuse, NC State, and University of Colorado Boulder in serious consideration.

This past month in Nashville, Tennessee Braddock won the Music City Distance Carnival with a New Jersey No. 10 all-time 3200m performance of 8:54.02. He enters this cross country season as the defending Group 4 State Champion and would have been among the favorites to win the NJSIAA State Meet of Champions if it had not been cancelled due to COVID-19 safety restrictions.

The pandemic has taken away visit opportunities for young recruits as well. Braddock stated he did the most with what he had available, "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to visit, but I did make the most of what I could do virtually. I've heard how many great spots there are to run at in Charlottesville, so I'm excited to make it down there."

With his college choice out of the way Braddock can now keep his eyes forward, "Having the commitment done early feels like a huge weight off my shoulders. I didn't want to rush it, but UVA was easily my favorite school."

If you are a New Jersey XC T&F athlete who has committed to a college please reach out to one of our social platforms or email Robert Kellert (rkellert@milesplit.com) or Jim Lambert (lambo2126@hotmail.com) so we can add it to your profile and our commitments hub.