By Bennett Ferguson, Milesplit Mississippi
Over the weekend, we witnessed our fifth state record of the season fall! At the Bama Showcase, Jewel Baker from East Rankin Academy delivered a dominant performance and walked away as a state record holder.
Leading up to the race, Jewel faced unexpected challenges. Traffic delays left her with almost no time to prepare or warm up. She went straight from the car to the track, even missing her original heat. Fortunately, she managed to secure a spot in a different division and did what she does best: race.
With the change in divisions, Jewel had to scrap most of her original race strategy. Her only focus was to leave it all on the track, and she did exactly that. When she crossed the finish line, the leaderboard displayed an astonishing 5:08.90--shattering the Mississippi indoor state record by nearly ten seconds. Oh, and did I mention she’s only in the 7th grade?
At the time of writing, Jewel is the fastest 7th grader in the nation for the 1500m race. Based on her standout 2024 cross-country campaign and her already exceptional 2025 track season, Jewel is well on her way to becoming one of Mississippi’s all-time greats.
When asked about her performance, she said, “...during the race my legs were aching, but I knew that was all part of a good time. After the race I felt like I had done what I needed to do and that my coach would be proud.”
If that’s not the mindset of a true athlete, I don’t know what is. Keep an eye on Jewel Baker as she hunts down even more records this outdoor season!
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