1.24.13 Sherre-Khan (Blackmon) Jones (Track & Field) 1998-2001

Jan. 24, 2013

Sherre-Khan (Blackmon) Jones, a Houston, Texas native, ran track for the Jayhawks from 1998-2001. She currently holds the sixth fastest time for the indoor 600 yards. Also during her time here at Kansas, she met Marcellus Jones III in her Western Civilization class and the two married in 2004. They now live in Eudora, Kan., and have a one-year-old daughter, Maison. The couple is awaiting the arrival of another baby girl in February.

Growing up, how did you become interested in running track?
“My dad was an official, so he was the first one to take me out to a huge track meet. That was my initial introduction and then once I got to middle school I was pretty good at the sport. Seventh grade was the year when I realized that I really liked track and field. I started to win my events and that’s how I really became affiliated with the sport and started learning more about it. I thought volleyball and basketball were fun sports, but track was what I was really good at.”

How did you decide to run track for Kansas?
“I was recruited by Coach Hill, who recruited me after he watched me at some summer Junior Olympic events. He was also recruiting a friend of mine who ran track at a different school. My friend and I talked about it and we kind of became a package deal. Deciding to go to Kansas was based off of a friendship and the fact that Coach Hill was recruiting me really hard. I also came on a visit around spring time and the campus was beautiful, that really took a part in it as well.”

What did your most memorable athletic accomplishments mean to you?
“Getting my time down was something that made me proud of myself. There was a board up in Anschutz where we practiced with record times on it and I always wanted to see my name up there. It really inspired me to do it. When I did beat a record, I was excited to be able to finally see my name up on that board.”

Do any track meets stand out above the rest while running here at KU?
“Yes, two of them come to mind actually. For indoor, we always had a tri-team meet with Missouri and K-State. Even if you happened to be in the worst shape, you still competed your heart out because you were competing against KU’s rivals Missouri and K-State. The other meet I have good memories from is the indoor Jayhawk Invite. It was nice to perform in front of the home crowd and be at home with my teammates and friends. The KU Relays were also a lot of fun and the meet grew every year that I was there. It became bigger and better each year.”

What are your favorite memories outside of running track?
“The beautiful first snows were always amazing on campus. Coming from Houston, we only saw about a half-inch every 10 years, or ice storms we called snow. So seeing real snow was great. Also, I always enjoyed hanging out with teammates and friends during the weekends. We would eat out, go shopping downtown and go to the movies when I got the chance.”

What have you been doing since you left KU?
“I went back home to Houston for a few years. Then after I got married and returned to Lawrence, I started working at Raintree Montessori School in Lawrence. I also coached middle school girl’s basketball, league basketball and volleyball in Eudora for a couple of years. I am currently home taking care of a one-year-old and I am awaiting the arrival of baby number two.”

Do you keep up with the KU track & field team today?
“I do keep up with the track team. I try to attend at least two home meets a year as well as follow their performances. I was happy to see several of the current team members perform during the 2012 Olympics this past summer and some have already broken records early in this 2013 season.”