David Judd, Special to The Denisonian—
Jacob Brown ‘24 comes into the season as the best all-around athlete in the conference after having just won his second straight indoor heptathlon title.
Brown’s journey to becoming a school record-holder in both the decathlon and heptathlon has taken him farther than he would have ever expected, and has taught him many valuable lessons along the way.
Brown first started competing in track and field during the spring of his sophomore year of high school in his hometown of Dover, Massachusetts. He had been an athlete his entire life, playing basketball, baseball and running cross country.
His high school coach, Ann Mann, encouraged him to try a variety of events, despite his inexperience. That summer he attended a clinic to further train and improve his technique in the events that make up the decathlon and heptathlon.
The decathlon is made up of 10 individual track and field events, specifically consisting of the 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400, 110 hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin and a 1,500-meter run.
The heptathlon is made up of seven events, with them being the 100 hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200, long jump, javelin and 800.
“Eventually over time I just fell in love with the sport and competing against myself and improving,” Brown said. Brown finished high school as an all-American in the long jump before coming to Denison.
Brown has carried his momentum from high school to the Big Red, with his decathlon training allowing him to practice with all of the event groups and further push himself.
While this versatility is challenging, Brown appreciates the opportunity to do so many things. This has also allowed him to become close to many of his teammates.
“It’s nice because it encourages me not to stay caught up on a certain event, but to look at it holistically. There are ones that go really well sometimes, and there are ones that go horribly sometimes. I just remember that it’s about more than just one event,” he said.
Brown’s hard work has brought him great success during his time at Denison. He has won three NCAC titles and earned NCAA all-region honors every year he has competed. He holds the school record for the heptathlon indoor and decathlon outdoor, and has broken his own records five times.
In 2023 he was recognized as the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Athlete.
“I definitely pride myself on being someone who pushes themselves pretty hard, a little too hard at times, but the success has taught me how to be confident in myself.” he said, “the best part is improving myself and knowing that my hard work has paid off and allowed me to achieve these goals.”
Photos courtesy of Jacob Brown
Outside of the track, Brown is heavily involved on campus. He works three jobs, working as a research assistant, a Denison docent and a data analyst for the strength and conditioning department.
Community service is also very important to Brown, with him serving as the development coordinator for Denison’s chapter of Camp Kesem, a nonprofit that organizes camps for children whose lives have been affected by cancer. He also volunteers with the humane society, where he spends time looking after animals in shelters.
When he isn’t busy with track or volunteering, he enjoys playing piano, guitar, ukulele and the drums. “I definitely like to stay busy, but I try to pick activities that I really enjoy so it doesn’t feel like work,” Brown said. “Doing all these things has really helped me learn to manage my time better.”
Despite all of the things Brown has going on in his life, the time he spends training and working to improve on the track is a great outlet and stress reliever.
“Track is a nice break from my day-to-day life and is a time where I don’t have to think about anything else and I can just be present doing something that I love to do.” Brown said, “At the end of the day I just feel more fulfilled when I can exercise and move my body.”
With the latest NCAC All-Decade team just announced, Brown already looks to be a potential inclusion in the next one. He hopes to compete in the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 7 to finish out his indoor season.
Brown is entering the outdoor season prepared to defend his NCAC decathlon championship and round out what has been a remarkable college career.
“It is great to win accolades and be recognized for that, but I am most happy with the personal improvements I’ve made at Denison.”