AWT TRACK: JCM's Marshall kept winning tradition going

Jalen Marshall learned from Desmond Maclin over the last couple of years about being a leader.

The Jackson Central-Merry track team grew to a new height last season after taking third place in the Class A-AA state championship behind Maclin's four gold medals, with Marshall being a part of two of them on the relay teams.

But this year, Marshall had to take things over himself, and he was successful keeping the Cougars running at a high level.

Marshall helped JCM win a gold, silver and bronze medal at the Class A-AA state track meet to be named The Jackson Sun's 2015 Male Track Athlete of the Year.

"I knew with Dez gone that I had to take over," Marshall said. "There was no holding back. We knew it was going to be hard to try and win another team gold because everybody was going to go hard at us."

Marshall won gold in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.79 seconds, which was 0.03 seconds better than the second-place finisher.

"The 100-meter is my strongest race," Marshall said. "It is fast and over quickly. I don't like running a long time."

The silver medal also came in an individual event as he ran the 200-meter dash in 22.07 seconds — 0.23 seconds behind the gold medalist.

The 4x100 meter relay team finished third with a time 43.24 to complete the trifecta Marshall won at the state meet.

The gold in the 100-meter dash was his first event at the state meet, but his second event was the 4x200 meter relay, where the Cougars were disqualified after dropping the baton.

"We had to get off the track and discuss what happened," Marshall said about moving past the disqualification. "We had to refocus after that for the 4x100."

Running in the relay races is different for Marshall in his mental preparation.

"You really have to depend on each other," he said. "If one person slips up in the relay, the whole team fails. In the 100, it is all on me. In the 4x100, I mess up causes the whole team to mess up."

This season ends Marshall's track career as he will be playing football at Austin Peay in the fall.

"It is hard knowing that track is over, but playing D1 football is something that I have dreamed about since I was little," he said.

Michael Odom, 425-9754

All-West Tennessee Track & Field Team

• Crockett County junior Jerry Rojas

• Haywood senior Kortavious Jones

• Haywood junior DeShawn Toliver

• Jackson Christian sophomore Logan Riddle

• JCM senior Maleic Clark