Rutgers-Newark Athletics

After a stellar track and field career at Franklin Township High School in central New Jersey, Jackie Peeke-Brown was all set to walk away from the sport.
 
"I wasn't planning on running in college," Peeke-Brown said. "I was going to focus on my studies and getting good grades."
 
Peeke-Brown had NCAA Division I schools such as the University of Massachusetts, Long Island University in Brooklyn and Rider all making substantial scholarship offers, but Peeke-Brown just wasn't interested.
 
"I just didn't want to go," Peeke-Brown said.
 
She was all set on going to a small school, focus on her career goal of working in government in some capacity and move on to make a positive impact on the world. Running track appeared to be in Peeke-Brown's rearview mirror.
 
But then Peeke-Brown received a scholarship to Rutgers-Newark, courtesy of the Social Justice Learning Community, a full ride complete with room and board.
 
It's an interesting concept where the students in the program all live on the same floor of the dormitory, take similar classes and study together on a regular basis, with the progress being monitored, along with their grades.
 
"The goal is to have the students graduate in four years and succeed together," Peeke-Brown said.
 
That social experiment and educational experience intrigued Peeke-Brown to the fullest.

"I really liked the idea," Peeke-Brown said. "We just had to show that we could succeed if we worked together."

When Peeke-Brown started to express interest in Rutgers-Newark, the powers-that-be, like Peeke-Brown's high school coach Sean Thomas, reached out to R-N head track and field coach Juan Edney to tell him about Peeke-Brown.
 
"I trained all summer with the team," Peeke-Brown said. "It was like being part of a family. I was drawn into how close everyone was and how they motivated each other. It was like having a family setting away from home. That's what I really liked about the track team."
 
Because Peeke-Brown was away from running for a bit, it took a while for her to get back into top shape. In the fall months, as tradition has it at Rutgers-Newark, a sprinter like Peeke-Brown is required to run cross country as a form of a training regimen.
 
"It was horrible," Peeke-Brown said. "I wasn't used to those distances. I did get stronger, but it took longer for me to get into it, turn my body over from being a sprinter. But I did get stronger. I felt that."
 
There was another obstacle in Peeke-Brown's development with the Scarlet Raiders. Her class schedule began daily at 8:30 a.m., so Peeke-Brown wasn't able to train with her teammates.
 
"I basically practiced alone," Peeke-Brown said. "The coaches were with me, but I was there by myself."
 
The coaches soon became less one major player, when coach Edney suffered injuries from a car accident that sidelined him for most of the season.
 
Graduate intern coach Chris Happel did most of the work with the sprinters.
 
"Jackie can sure run," Happel said. "She has a lot of good energy. She's like our diamond in the rough. She has a lot of talent. She's such a hard worker. She's also humble and respectful. That's why she's our diamond in the rough, because with a little smoothing out, she can come out and really shine. Who knows what she's capable of? She's already running faster than we thought she would."
 
"At first, the coaches were really excited with what I could do," Peeke-Brown said. "But I wasn't satisfied. I wasn't breaking my PR's (personal records) from high school. I thought I could run faster. It just takes me longer to get going."
 
Happel was impressed with what Peeke-Brown brought to the table immediately.
 
"She came in with some pretty good times, but she keeps getting faster each and every meet," Happel said. "She's capable of qualifying for the (NCAA Division III) nationals. She's close now. If not this year, then definitely next."
 
Peeke-Brown felt like she was a key member of the Scarlet Raiders' roster from the outset of the season.
 
"I felt like I did fit in right away," Peeke-Brown said. "The other girls had no choice but to like me. With such a small team, they had to accept me."
 
The Scarlet Raiders also accepted Peeke-Brown's talents.
 
She was put on the 4x100-meter relay team with three seniors, namely LaSha Johnson,Chelsea Washington and Danielle Parker, to post some of the best times in the school's history. They ran 49.79 in the 4x100 at the Penn Relays Carnival last month, only to break that school mark with a 49.51 at the New Jersey Athletic Conference championships last weekend.
 
Also at the NJACs, the Scarlet Raiders' 4x400-meter relay team of Peeke-Brown, seniorDominique Roberts, and seniors Parker and Washington posted a time of 3:59.92, breaking the school record set last year at the NJACs (4:00.12).
 
Peeke-Brown also finished sixth in the 400-meter dash with a time of 59.02, earning four critical team points as the Scarlet Raiders' women finished fifth in the team standings.
 
The team heads to the ECAC Championships in Massachusetts this weekend with the hope of qualifying for the nationals the week later.
 
Happel loves what Peeke-Brown means to the team.
 
"She's very respectful," Happel said. "She calls me 'Mister.' Not Mr. Happel, just Mister. Her personality pushes everyone else. She's become an elite runner on the team and everyone respects that, even though she's only a freshman. It makes her a unique member of this team. She runs the 200, the 400 and three relays and she's more than capable of handling all of it. She's been a godsend. That's the right word for her, a godsend."
 
Peeke-Brown is majoring in public administration with a minor in sociology. She wants to pursue a career in social work or government.
 
"I've been exposed to so many different things, so I want to try different things," Peeke-Brown said. "I know I would love to work in government."
 
One thing's for sure: Peeke-Brown will work on her class schedule so she can have more time to practice with her teammates next year.
 
"I won't have any 8:30 a.m. classes next year," Peeke-Brown said. "I think this program has really helped me with time management. Either I'm running or I'm studying. I wouldn't know what to do with my life if I wasn't running. I don't go out partying. Either I'm in class or on the track. That's where you'll find me."