2012 BYU Hall of Fame

Elizabeth Jackson was already a well-decorated athlete when she came to BYU as a state 800-meter and mile champion in track and state cross country champion, and state course record holder, from East High in Salt Lake City. It was obvious she needed better competition and the college ranks provided it. Over the next four years, her strength, skill, and determination made her a nine-time All-American in cross country and track, and one of the most-successful athletes in BYU history.     

Jackson made an immediate impact on the cross country team her freshman season, being named Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year. She also earned her first All-America honor at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.

Jackson’s unprecedented success continued in cross country throughout the rest of her college career. Along with being named an Academic All-American, Mountain West Conference champion and MWC Cross Country Athlete of the Year, over the next three seasons Jackson earned three more All-America accolades, becoming the first athlete in BYU history to earn All-America honors in cross country all four years. She also helped lead BYU to two cross country national championships.  

In track and field, Jackson was also a five-time All-American and BYU’s first national champion in the women’s steeplechase. Her senior year at the NCAA Championships she broke her own American record and went on to break the American record twice more that summer at competitions in Scotland and France.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in business management, Jackson continued competing, traveling to meets around the world as a professional track athlete sponsored by Nike. During her professional career she won four individual U.S. national titles and was ranked No. 1 in the nation in 2001, 2002 and 2005. She was also ranked third in the world (2001) and seventh in the world (2005) by the IAAF. Jackson was selected to represent the United States at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, and placed ninth.

WAC Cross Country Freshman of the Year...placed third in the WAC Cross Country Championships and earned All-America honors by placing 27th at nationals

placed second in the WAC indoor 3000m (10:37.16)...placed third in the 3000m at the Texas Relays...NCAA provisional qualifier in the outdoor 3000m...placed second in the 3000m (9:34.15) and fourth in the 5000m (17:11.89) at the WAC Outdoor Championships...placed second at the USA Track and Field Championships in the steeplechase at 10:38.72...repeat All-American, in 22nd at 17:19 at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, as she finished third on the national championship team

Fifth in WAC indoor 3,000 (10:24.92)...seventh at the WAC Championships and at the BYU Autumn Classic...second in the WAC 3000m at the outdoor championships in 9:44.99...second at the USA Track and Field Championships in New Orleans in 10:21.2 in the 3000m steeplechase...qualified for the Goodwill Games in New York...made the finals in the 1998 NCAA outdoor 3k, placing 10th to earn All-America honors...placed 5th at the Mountain West Classic...raced to a season-best, 17:11 5K to finish in 11th place at the Stanford Invitational...finished in second place behind teammate Maggie Chan at the NCAA District meet...finished fourth on the team and 36th overall at the NCAA Championships

Qualifier in both the outdoor 3000m (9:19) and 5000m (16:08)...earned her fifth All-American award with an eighth-place finish in the outdoor 5000m at the NCAA Championships... WAC Champion in the outdoor 3000m...American champion in the 3000m steeplechase at the USA Nationals in Eugene, Ore...led the Cougars to a national championship in cross country, finishing first on the team and 11th overall at the NCAA finals in 16:59...first runner in BYU history to earn All-American letters all four years in cross country...MWC cross country athlete of the year after winning the conference race