On September 27, 2012, Liz was inducted into the Brigham Young University Athletics Hall of Fame. Liz and four other BYU athlete inductees were honored at an induction ceremony on Friday, the 27th and honored during the BYU football game on Saturday, the 28th. The other inductees included football players Gordon Gravelle (1967-1971), John Tait (1993, 1996-1998), men’s gymnast Cortney Bramwell (1997-2000) and men’s volleyball player Hector Lebron (1997-2001).
Here is BYU’s spotlight on Liz:
2012 Hall of Fame Inductee
Elizabeth Jackson was already a well-decorated athlete when she came to BYU as a state 800-meter and mile champion in track and state cross country champion, and state course record holder, from East High in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was obvious she needed better competition and the college ranks provided it. Over the next four years, her strength, skill, and determination made her a nine-time All-American in cross country and track, and one of the most-successful athletes in BYU history.
Jackson made an immediate impact on the cross country team her freshman season, being named Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year. She also earned her first All-America honor at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.
Jackson’s unprecedented success continued in cross country throughout the rest of her college career. Along with being named an Academic All-American, Mountain West Conference Champion, and MWC Cross Country Athlete of the Year, over the next three seasons Jackson earned three more All-America accolades, becoming the first athlete in BYU history to earn All-America honors in cross country all four years. She also helped lead BYU to two Cross Country National Championships.
In track and field, Jackson was also a five-time All-American and BYU’s first national champion in the women’s steeplechase. Her senior year, at the NCAA Championships, she broke her own American record, and went on to break the American record twice more than summer at competitions in Scotland and France.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in business management, Jackson continued competing, traveling to meets around the world as a professional track athlete sponsored by Nike. During her professional career she won four individual U.S. national titles and was ranked No. 1 in the nation in 2001, 2002, and 2005. She was also ranked third in the world (2001) and seventh in the world (2005) by the IAAF. Jackson was selected to represent the United States at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, and placed ninth.
In 2009, Jackson started her own SEO firm and is now a web developer and SEO expert. She also works as a fitness model. Elizabeth enjoys going to the temple and is grateful for the opportunities she has to speak at youth firesides and other events. She feels incredibly blessed to have amazing parents and siblings who have cheered her on and supported her throughout her running career. She loves and adores her seven nieces and nephews, and her favorite thing in the world is to spend time with them.