PEABODY — One of the most prolific throwers in the history of Peabody track has made it official; Alex Jackson is going to take his immense talent to the University of Virginia, one of the top Division 1 programs in the nation.
Jackson said he also had offers from Florida and Tennessee, but once he stepped onto the Cavaliers’ campus in Charlottesville in early January, Virginia was a done deal.
“The people were great, the campus is in a great spot, the grounds are beautiful and it just felt so right,” Jackson said. “The coaching staff is unbelievable so I knew then that’s where I wanted to go. My goal is to keep improving to get to the point where I can compete. The program is incredible with people training for the world championships and one woman coming back from the Olympics. It’s a place where some of the best athletes are training so I believe this is where I can improve my game to the highest level.”
A 15-time Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association champion, Jackson is an 11-time state champion. He’s a seven-time Northeastern Conference champion with titles in the indoor shot put (’23, ’24, ’25), outdoor shot put (’23, ’24) and discus (’23, ’24).
Jackson has also made his mark on the national scene. He won the New Balance Outdoor Nationals freshman shot put in 2022 and also won the discus title in the emerging elites division in 2024.
You name the record and chances are that Jackson has broken it, many of them previously stood for many years.
He holds Peabody High records in the indoor shot put (66-06) and outdoor shot (61-05), records that had stood for 34 and 55 years, respectively. He holds the record in the 25-pound weight throw (74-04.25) and the discus (176-04), the latter of which previously stood for 47 years, as well as the hammer (184-02), and the indoor and outdoor shot put relays.
Jackson holds multiple invitational meet and state records. He broke a 54-year-old MIAA Division 2 Championship meet record in the shot put in 2024, then broke it again in 2025. He also holds the meet record in the weight throw.
He holds MSTCA records in the indoor shot and weight throw as well as freshman/sophomore marks in the shot put and discus. He holds NEC records in the indoor shot, the outdoor shot, and the discus.
Invitational highlights include a fourth-place finish in the weight throw (74-04.25) this year at the Millrose Games and a first-place finish in the shot at the 2024 Dartmouth Relays. He placed eighth in the shot put at the 2024 Penn Relays.
A 2024 Nike Indoor Nationals All-American in the shot put, he’s a six-time MSTCA Field Athlete of the Meet with three NEC Field Athlete of the Year nods and four all-star nods. He’s a two-time Boston Globe All-Scholastic and a two-time Boston Herald All-Star.
A three-time Daily Item All-Star, Jackson received the 2024 Item Outdoor Male Athlete of the Year award and was twice named Peabody High MVP (’24 Indoor, ’24 Outdoor). Jackson also excels in the classroom with a course load full of honors courses as well as AP economics. He said he intends to pursue business at Virginia.
“They have a really accomplished business program there,” Jackson said.
While Jackson said he expects to compete in the shot, weight throw, and hammer, Tanners’ throw coach Jay Smith said nobody is quite sure what his strengths will be.
The exciting thing about Alex moving on is I’m not sure we even know what his best events could be. He could end up specializing in weight and hammer,” he said. “He’s still maturing physically and the men’s implements will be an adjustment, but Alex will be more than ready to make the transition when his time comes.”
Last fall, Jackson stepped away from football to focus on throwing.
“This will give me the time I need to prepare to throw this year and for my collegiate career,” Jackson said in September.
Looks like the decision paid off handsomely. Just two months later, MileSplit USA named Jackson No. 1 in the nation in the shot put and No. 3 in the weight throw.
“Alex made a difficult decision to pursue his goal to throw at the highest levels, so it was a great leap of faith in himself and our program’s ability to get him on that path.”
“It was a big sacrifice to give up football, but I really needed to focus on being ready for track,” Jackson said. “Obviously you can see by the result that it was worth it.”
Smith said Jackson was an “early favored recruit” at Virginia.
“Virginia looks to be a very good choice for his next stop,” Smith said. “Coach Brandon Amo came up to visit and he liked what he saw in Alex, his experience and dedication to work. They have plans to build around Alex and a few other key athletes. And along the way, Alex will receive a world-class education.”
With his college decision behind him, Jackson said now is all about finishing the indoor season strong, maybe even with a state championship and strong performances at the indoor nationals. The Tanners got off to a good start at Thursday’s Division 2 state meeting, finishing runner-up by just a single point.
“It’s a big relief to have made the decision to go to Virginia,” he said. “Mentally and physically I feel I’m in a really good spot for this championship season and, as a team, we are all in a really good spot, so I’m excited. I am so proud of the team. Not winning the state divisional title yesterday lit a little fire under us, so I’m excited to see what’s to come.”
