Ankeny hurdler Ella Jumper has verbally committed to join the Central College women’s track and field program.
Jumper, who qualified for the Class 4A state meet last spring in the shuttle hurdle relay, picked the Dutch after looking at a few other schools, including Wisconsin-La Crosse.
“I was very particular in what I wanted so I only went on a few visits,” Jumper said. “I first became interested in Central because it was close to home and then as I learned more I was really interested in their well-known Kinesiology program. I also loved the dynamic of the coaching staff because it reminded me of what our dynamic is at Ankeny with my dad as a head coach and my mom as an assistant.”
Jumper’s father, TJ, is a former high jump state champion in Illinois. He guided the Hawkettes to a fifth-place finish in Class 4A in his first season as head coach.
Jumper’s mother, Laura, was a six-time state champion during her high school career at Ankeny. She was inducted into the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union Hall of Fame in 2004.
“My parents’ success was really what had gotten me into track in the first place and then as I competed more I found a love for the sport, which made me want to compete at the college level,” Jumper said.