Career Highlights: Three-time NCAA III national champion; 11-time All-American; 1996 All-American outdoor as part of the 4x400 relay team; 1997 All-American indoor as part of the 4x400 relay; 1997 All-American outdoor in the long jump and as part of the 4x100 and 4x400 relays; 1998 All-American indoor in the long jump; 1998 All-American outdoor in the long jump and as part of the 4x400 relay; 1999 All-American indoor in the long jump (national champion) and as part of 4x400 relay (national champions); 1999 All-American outdoor in the long jump (national champion).
North Central College brought only five girls to the 1997 NCAA III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Not a bad number, but definitely not enough to place as a team with the nation’s elite, right? Wrong. All five girls achieved All-American status in their respective events and the Cardinals came out with a third-place finish, the best in the program’s history.
“That was just so amazing,” said Pristina Jones ’99 about the team’s performance. “That was my most memorable year at North Central for the all of the things we accomplished.”
Jones, a sophomore then, had quite the meet that weekend, taking All-American honors in the long jump and as part of the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams. The 1998 season also proved to be highly successful as she again captured All-American honors for indoor long jump and as part of the 4x400 relay.
However, Jones’ senior year was by far the most impressive. She dominated the long jump, winning the national championship at both the indoor and outdoor national meets. And to top it off, she was also part of the national championship 4x400 relay team along with Maggie Zdziarska ’99, Sue DeNigris ’02 and Vanessa Vaughn ’00. By the time he career concluded, she was a 11-time All-American and three-time national champion.
After graduating with a degree in marketing, Jones became a sales support specialist for Wallace Computer Services for several years. She also found time to compete for the Indiana Invaders Track and Field Club. The club, comprised of elite athletes, competes at USA Track & Field events across the country. Jones’ career took a turn this past fall when she received a call from former Carthage College (Wis.) head track and field coach Steve Ray, who is now the head track and field coach at Jacksonville State University (Ala.).
“He said he’d been coaching against me and competing against me for all these years and he was tired of losing,” joked Jones. “He said it was time for me to be on his side.”
In September 2005, Jones became the assistant track coach in charge of the sprinters and jumpers while also assisting the hurdlers at Jacksonville State.
