EDINBURG – Senior JoVanna Jones of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley women's track and field team realized at a young age that she was going to have to rely on herself if she wanted to play sports.
 
There was just something about playing on a team that didn't click with Jones and that is a big reason why she got into running track.
 
"Honestly, I played baseball a lot," Jones said. "I realized that I didn't know if I could do the whole team stuff and that I was going to have to do it by myself. When I started playing basketball and running track seriously, the school I went to wasn't all that good at sports, so I wanted to do something where I could rely on myself so I started running more."
 
Jones was born in Fort Hood, Texas and grew up in a military family. She moved around a lot and has lived in Germany, Colorado, and Austin. Jones' favorite place that she has lived in has to be Colorado because there is a lot of different things to do outdoors and she likes being outdoors. 
 
Jones is going on 10 years in track and field as she started when she was in the seventh grade. With her moving to different places there has been a lot of different coaches that have helped her learn. 
 
It's something she appreciates about her time in track and field.
 
"Since I moved around a lot, there have been a lot of different coaches, so I am really thankful for that," Jones said. "There has been a lot of different mentors that I have had throughout my years of track and they have all helped me in different ways."
 
One of the advices she got growing up was that she had to take advantage of her size. Jones stands in at five-foot one inch and her coaches always used to tell her that she was powerful because she was small. She carried that advice with her as she entered Harker Heights High School. 
 
It was at Harker Heights where Jones would have one of her most favorite memories. It was her first year at the school and while track and field has a different team concept, Jones was able to help her team to win a district championship. It would be the start of a new tradition at Harker Heights.
 
"I think we won district by over 100 points," Jones said. "At that moment with my team, we were all excited about winning. It was the first time winning district in a couple of years and from that championship we continued winning in the next three or four years after that. It was really good to see and probably one of my favorite moments."
 
Jones was glad to be a part of something special when she left Harker Heights and when it came to deciding what school she wanted to attend in college, she knew she wanted to be a part of something similar. 
 
Jones had other choices other than UTRGV but she learned that there were changes coming to the program and to the school. It was another opportunity to be part of something new and it was an opportunity she couldn't pass up.
 
"When I came here, there was a lot of new things going on with the school so I was really excited about that," Jones said. "The new track was being made, we were going to become UTRGV in my second year here, so it was about building a program and I was just excited to be a part of something new."
 
Right away Jones learned that college was going to be different than high school but that she had to trust the process. Instead of doing track and field just a few hours a day after school it became something she did every single day almost every part of the day.
 
That everyday grind has helped Jones mature over the last four years. She has seen herself grow and become almost a different person than when she came in as a freshman. She feels like she will leave stronger and as a better person.
 
"I have definitely been able to discipline my mind a lot more," Jones said. "Being out here every day in this heat and everything we do is really draining and I definitely became more mentally tough and for sure I have grown up a lot. For example, when the new freshman came in, being able to come close to them and become an older sibling to them."
 
Taking freshman under her wing was something Jones did right away as she became close to the incoming class when she was a sophomore. In fact, she has really gotten close to juniors Felicia Wills, Idatonye Cheetham-West, Valerie King Mancha, and Destiny Rutherford. 
 
That sprints group has made it fun for Jones over the last three years and it was the most visible during this year's WAC Indoor Championships. 
 
"This past conference indoor meet, our team did really well," Jones said. "Us girls really stepped it up and we as a group broke some records, we were on the podium and all those memories of us being there and just being super hyped to be at conference was really exciting. It was probably my favorite memory while here."
 
Jones had quite the indoor season help set a couple of program records. She broke teammates Idatonye Cheetham-West's record in the 60-meter dash before Cheetham-West reclaimed it. Jones also teamed up with Felicia Wills, Valerie King Mancha, and Destiny Rutherford to set the program record in the 4x400-meter relay. 
 
She also added third and fifth place finishes at the WAC Indoor Championships in the 200-meter and 60-meter dashes. All in all, it was one of Jones' best indoor seasons. Staying healthy has been the big difference for Jones this year.
 
"Honestly, it was definitely staying healthy," Jones said. "I have gone through a lot of injuries these last couple of years. Coach Otis [McDaniel] has always done a good job with adjusting my workouts, so I am able to get the most out of what I have. I think that was a key aspect in all the successes that we had this year."
 
Jones is majoring in communication studies with a minor in management. Jones wants to be able to give back to others and hopes to one day teach people. Jones has a passion for people and wants to help others. 
 
That love for people comes from her family, which has been a stable foundation throughout her college career. 
 
"They are all super outgoing," Jones said. "I have a really big family and I love them so much. They love people so I think I get it from them. They have been super supportive. They come out to as many meets as they can and they're all always making sure that I am ok. Their love and support has definitely brought me far through college."
 
Throughout her college career, Jones has always wanted to leave a legacy for those that will follow her. She is continuing to work on leaving a good example for her teammates and hopes she can leave them with a little advice.
 
"I just want them to know to keep on having fun with it as long as you can," Jones said. "It gets tough and it's hard coming out here every day but try and stay positive and understand that great things are coming." 

Support UTRGV Track & Field | Become a Fan on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow us on Instagram | Follow us on YouTube