The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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20 ■ THE WOLFPACKER TRACKING THE PACK NC State track and field star Jonathan Addison finished his sophomore season ranked fifth all time in school history in the long jump. The former Raleigh Enloe High stand- out jumped 25 feet, 4.75 inches at the NCAA East Regional May 29 to reach the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Ore. Addison finished 20th after jumping 23-2.5 at the NCAA Championships June 12 to cap a strong campaign. Addison also was able to take home first place at the ACC Championships April 17. He jumped 25-0 to tie for top honors, but was awarded the gold medal by having the second-best jump. He also finished second in the long jump at the ACC Indoor Championships. Addison originally came to NC State for the high jump and achieved 6-10.75 to finish 19th at the NCAA East Regional. Addison recently took some time with The Wolfpacker to answer some questions about his track and field season and goals for the future. What does it mean to you to already have the fifth-best long jump in NC State history? "I don't know if it has hit me. It is pretty surreal to know that I am up there with some of the best athletes to ever come through the school. "I know NC State had a really strong track program in the 1980s and 1990s. To know that I am one of the best is pretty amazing." What was it like to finish 20th at the NCAA Championships, and how does it help motivate you in the future? "That was actually really disappointing. I think I jumped the lowest jump all year. I felt that I could have done so much better. I have two years left, so I'll stay dedicated. "What I've done this year will hopefully translate to next year, and I'll do better." What was it like to compete against many of the best jumpers in the nation at the NCAA Championships? "It was cool. Most of them, I had seen before, but you saw the best of the best all at one meet. One of the guys jumped well over 27 feet, and it was amazing to see people like that jump. "I didn't think I was star struck, but it was nice to meet all those guys and see them actually do it." Was the high jump or long jump your first love in track and field? "The first love was definitely the high jump. I started the high jump at 11 years old and then started long jumping a couple of years after. I was actually recruited to NC State because of the high jump. "It turned out my skills of being fast and with good jumping ability translated better this year in the long jump. I almost made nationals in high jump. I guess I now love long jump more." What attracted you academically to NC State? "Definitely the engineering program. I am pretty strong in math and science, so I always wanted to do engineering. NC State has an amazing engineering program." What are your summer plans? "I'll be taking a week or two to relax and let my body recover. I won't stop doing core strengthening. That is one of the most important things and will last through - out the whole season. I'll maintain a decent amount of shape so next year's conditioning won't be terrible and I won't be too far behind. "I have an industrial engineering position as an intern at the UPS facility in Maple Grove, Minn. They want me to optimize their small sorting packages station. They have almost 40,000 packages coming through here every day. That is my project for the first part of the summer." Who inspires you? "My dad, Jonathan Addison Sr. He always pushes me hard, whether it is sports or academics, but mainly academics. He said if you are going to do something, put your all into it. All the support and coaching he has given me in my life, I look up to him." — Jacey Zembal Addison placed 20th in the long jump with a leap of 23-2.5 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS Getting To Know: Long Jumper/High Jumper Jonathan Addison ■ Track And Field Quick Questions Who would you like to see in concert? I have never seen him before, but I'd love to see J. Cole. Do you have a favorite class at NC State? My industrial class and linear programming. I had a nice teacher in that one. What athlete that isn't a teammate do you enjoy watching? T.J. Warren last year in basketball, and I look forward to watching [quar - terback] Jacoby Brissett this year. I met him be- cause he was in my class his first semester when he arrived. Do you have a go-to place to in your hometown of Raleigh? Wingstop for wings is a place I go to every time I come back from a track meet. What do you look forward to doing this summer? Visiting Mall of America [in Blooming - ton, Minn.]. Do you have any superstitions? I always have to wear white socks when I jump, and I have to eat Subway before I compete. If you didn't do track, what sport would you have liked to have tried in college? Foot- ball. I played football a lot in high school and I loved it. I had some looks from some smaller schools. If you didn't go to NC State, where would you have gone? The main two schools were NC State and Memphis, but I guess the other school that I looked at and wanted to go to was Georgia Tech. What is your must-see TV show? It just went off the air — "Archer," which is a cartoon show. Android or iPhone or neither? I have an Android, a Galaxy S5. 14-16,18,20,22,24-25.TTP.indd 20 6/27/14 2:39 PM