Coach Jay Hatleli has a pretty simple answer when asked what he looks for in athletes for his Rosemount track and field team. He simply points to Grant Jackson.
Dedicated. Focused. Driven. Hardworking. Respectful.
These are all words the Rosemount coaches use to describe their senior sprinter.
"In high school coaching, you spend a lot of time focusing on the things that you don't want to have to spend time on — the commitment, the effort level, the responsibility," Hatleli said. "The biggest thing I can say about Grant is that you don't have to worry about any of that. He's always had it. He's easy to coach. All you have to do is help an athlete train."
It doesn't hurt that he's pretty darn fast, too.
Jackson has already set a school record at 100 meters this spring. He's also one of the top returning runners from last year's 200 at the state meet, where he finished seventh.
He's a three-sport athlete with a 3.88 grade-point average and a commitment to run track next year at West Point.
More than anything, though, Jackson epitomizes the Irish team, sprint coach Grant Gilbertson said, a squad looking to ride a handful of standouts and a plethora of senior leadership to its first state title since 2011.
