Johnnie Jackson Season 2025
Events: Weight Throw (77-3 3/4), Discus (183-10), Hammer (235-4)
NCAA Champion
2-time All-American
2-time All-SEC
SEC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week (Jan. 24)
CAREER CAPSULE
One of the most prolific throwers in the history of the LSU Track & Field program as the NCAA Indoor Champion in the weight throw during his senior season in 2017 … Joined Walter Henning (2010, 2011) as LSU’s two NCAA Champions in the event in school history … Tied the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium record at Texas A&M with a winning throw of 75 feet, 0 3/4 inches on his second attempt at the 2017 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships … Earned All-America honors in the hammer throw during his senior season with a personal best of 235-4 for sixth place nationally at the 2017 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships … The SEC Indoor Silver Medalist in the weight throw and SEC Outdoor Silver Medalist in the hammer throw as a senior with the Tigers in 2017 … Ended his collegiate career ranked No. 2 in the weight throw (77-3 3/4) and No. 2 in the hammer throw (235-4) on LSU’s all-time indoor and outdoor performance lists.
2017
Became the second Tiger in program history to be crowned the NCAA Indoor Champion in the men’s weight throw … Tied the Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium record at Texas A&M with a winning throw of 75-0 3/4 on his second attempt at the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships … Never trailed at the NCAA Indoor meet after opening with a mark of 74-3 1/2 on his first attempt … Joined Walter Henning in 2010 and 2011 as LSU’s NCAA Indoor Champions in the weight throw … Earned the title of SEC Indoor Silver Medalist as the runner-up in the event at the SEC Indoor Championships … Threw 73-9 for second place at the conference meet … Opened the indoor season with a personal best of 77-3 3/4 to take home the title from the Auburn Invitational … Ranked No. 2 on LSU’s all-time indoor performance list behind only Henning’s school record of 78-1 … Honored as the SEC Men’s Field Athlete of the Week for the first time in his career following his performance at the Auburn Invitational … Won weight throw titles at the Razorback Invitational (71-8 3/4), Bayou Bengal Invitational (74-7 3/4) and Iowa State Classic (73-1 1/4) during the indoor season … An All-American during the outdoor season as the sixth-place finisher in the hammer throw final at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships … Threw a personal best of 235-4 at the NCAA Championships to rank No. 2 in school history in the hammer throw … Qualified for the NCAA Championships with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds in Lexington, Kentucky, where he threw 226-5 … Earned All-SEC honors with a silver-medal-winning throw of 229-10 in the hammer throw at the SEC Outdoor Championships in Columbia, South Carolina … Scored 10 points for the Tigers at the SEC Outdoor Championships as he also earned a seventh-place finish in the discus final with a personal-best mark of 183-10 … Moved into a tie for the No. 8 spot on LSU’s all-time outdoor performance list in the discus at 183-10 … Also competed in the discus throw at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds, finishing 33rd overall with a mark of 173-0 … Won hammer throw titles at the Battle on the Bayou (219-10), Beach Invitational (227-3) and SEC Relays (225-11) during the outdoor season … Eclipsed the 230-foot mark for the first time in his career at the Mt. SAC Relays where he threw 231-2 for third place in the invitational hammer throw … Followed the collegiate season by earning the title of U.S. Outdoor Silver Medalist witha throw of 235-2 at the USA Track & Field Championships in Sacramento, California.
2016
One of the SEC’s leading performers in both the weight throw indoors and hammer throw outdoors in his debut season with the Tigers … Scored three points for the Tigers with sixth-place finishes in both events at the SEC Championships … Capped his indoor season by throwing 67-9 for sixth place in the weight throw at the SEC Indoor Championships … Won back-to-back weight throw titles at the LSU High Performance Meet with a throw of 69-3 1/4 and LSU Twilight with a personal best of 70-5 3/4 … Moved into the No. 3 spot on LSU’s all-time indoor performance list in the weight throw with his lifetime best of 70-5 3/4 … Finished runner-up in his LSU debut at the Purple Tiger Invitational with a series-best of 67-2 3/4 … Also placed second in the event at the Razorback Invitational with a throw of 67-11 3/4 … Threw the weight at the Bayou Bengal Invitational (63-1 1/4) and Power Five Conference Clash (66-5) … Improved to sixth place on his sixth and final throw of the hammer final at the SEC Outdoor Championships with a series-best mark of 215-11 … Also competed in the discus throw at the SEC Outdoor Championships, throwing 160-1 for 13th place overall … Stepped into the hammer cage at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds where he earned a 19th-place finish with a mark of 211-3 … Bronze medalist in the hammer throw at the Texas Relays with a personal best of 217-1 to rank No. 4 on LSU’s all-time outdoor performance list in the event … Opened his outdoor season by finishing second in the discus with a throw of 163-6 and fourth in the hammer with a throw of 204-7 at Miami’s Hurricane Twilight … Matched his personal best in the discus with a seasonal-best throw of 174-2 for sixth place at the LSU Invitational … Also threw the discus at the Battle on the Bayou (163-1), Texas Invitational (157-8) and LSU Alumni Gold (170-7) during the outdoor season … Additionally threw the hammer at the Battle on the Bayou (212-0), Texas Invitational (209-3), LSU Alumni Gold (215-11) and LSU Invitational (211-4) to highlight his debut season with the Tigers.
PRIOR TO LSU
One of the top throws recruits in the junior college ranks in the Class of 2015 … A two-time national champion in the weight throw during his two-year stint at Colleyville Community College while competing at the National Junior College Athletics Association Indoor Track & Field Championships … Was first crowned a national champion in the weight throw during his freshman season in 2014 with a winning throw of 56-7 ½ at the national meet … Defended his NJCAA Indoor title as a sophomore in 2015 with a winning mark of 63-5 at the NJCAA Indoor Championships … Smashed the NJCAA Indoor national record in the weight throw with a career-best mark of 66-9 ¼ in claiming the event title at the NJCAA Region VI Indoor Championships in 2015 … PR of 66-9 ¼ also set new Jayhawk Conference and Colleyville Community College school records in the men’s weight throw … Threw a 2014 seasonal best of 58-10 ¾ in winning his first career NJCAA Region VI title in the weight throw … First broke the 60-foot mark in the event at the 2015 UCO Indoor Open with a winning throw of 63-0 … Followed by throwing 66-2 ½ for the win at the MSSU Lion Invitational and 64-10 ¾ for seventh place at Arkansas’ Tyson Invitational … Twice an NJCAA Outdoor Silver Medalist in the hammer throw during his time at Colleyville Community College … Placed second in 2014 with a throw of 186-8 and 2015 with a throw of 180-6 at the NJCAA Outdoor Championships … Went out as the Colleyville Community College school-record holder in the men’s hammer throw with a career-best mark of 208-6 set in winning the event crown at the Pittsburg State Gorilla Classic during his sophomore season in 2015 … Defended his NJCAA Region VI Outdoor title in the hammer throw with a winning mark of 201-0 at the regional meet in 2015 … Captured the regional hammer throw title for the first time as a freshman with a throw of 186-3 … Also a two-time NJCAA Outdoor Championships qualifier in the discus throw while competing for Colleyville Community College … Placed 19th in 2014 with a throw of 125-8 and seventh in 2015 with a throw of 148-7 at the NJCAA Outdoor Championships … Claimed the NJCAA Region VI bronze medal in the event during his sophomore season with a top mark of 157-10 … Placed fifth in the discus at the regional meet during his freshman season with a throw of 152-7 … Uncorked a personal-best throw of 174-2 to capture a second-place finish in the discus final at the 2014 Pittsburgh State Gorilla Invitational.
PERSONAL
Full name is Johnnie Jackson, Jr. … Born on Sept. 19, 1994 … Parents are Johnnie O. Jackson and Niema Payton … Has two sisters, Jonessa and Georgia … Father is an IFBB Pro body builder …
PRIOR TO LSU
One of the top throws recruits in the junior college ranks in the Class of 2015 … A two-time national champion in the weight throw during his two-year stint at Colleyville Community College while competing at the National Junior College Athletics Association Indoor Track & Field Championships … Was first crowned a national champion in the weight throw during his freshman season in 2014 with a winning throw of 56 feet, 7 ½ inches at the national meet … Defended his NJCAA Indoor title as a sophomore in 2015 with a winning mark of 63-5 at the NJCAA Indoor Championships … Smashed the NJCAA Indoor national record in the weight throw with a career-best mark of 66-9 ¼ in claiming the event title at the NJCAA Region VI Indoor Championships in 2015 … PR of 66-9 ¼ also set new Jayhawk Conference and Colleyville Community College school records in the men’s weight throw … Threw a 2014 seasonal best of 58-10 ¾ in winning his first career NJCAA Region VI title in the weight throw … First broke the 60-foot mark in the event at the 2015 UCO Indoor Open with a winning throw of 63-0 … Followed by throwing 66-2 ½ for the win at the MSSU Lion Invitational and 64-10 ¾ for seventh place at Arkansas’ Tyson Invitational … Twice an NJCAA Outdoor Silver Medalist in the hammer throw during his time at Colleyville Community College … Placed second in 2014 with a throw of 186-8 and 2015 with a throw of 180-6 at the NJCAA Outdoor Championships … Went out as the Colleyville Community College school-record holder in the men’s hammer throw with a career-best mark of 208-6 set in winning the event crown at the Pittsburg State Gorilla Classic during his sophomore season in 2015 … Defended his NJCAA Region VI Outdoor title in the hammer throw with a winning mark of 201-0 at the regional meet in 2015 … Captured the regional hammer throw title for the first time as a freshman with a throw of 186-3 … Also a two-time NJCAA Outdoor Championships qualifier in the discus throw while competing for Colleyville Community College … Placed 19th in 2014 with a throw of 125-8 and seventh in 2015 with a throw of 148-7 at the NJCAA Outdoor Championships … Claimed the NJCAA Region VI bronze medal in the event during his sophomore season with a top mark of 157-10 … Placed fifth in the discus at the regional meet during his freshman season with a throw of 152-7 … Uncorked a personal-best throw of 174-2 to capture a second-place finish in the discus final at the 2014 Pittsburgh State Gorilla Invitational.
PERSONAL
Full name is Johnnie Jackson, Jr. … Born on Sept. 19, 1994 … Parents are Johnnie O. Jackson and Niema Payton … Has two sisters, Jonessa and Georgia … Father is an IFBB Pro body builder … Majoring in pre-humanities and social science.