Jacobs continuing career at Louisville
ELIZABETH — A slice of pizza or two was on the line when Daniel Jacobs caught the attention of Elizabeth Forward track & field coach John Walsh back in middle school.
The senior hopes to be vying for a state gold medal next May as he wraps up his career for the Warriors before heading off to the University of Louisville.
Walsh, flanked by his parents Mark and Theresa Jacobs, of Elizabeth, made his college future official Wednesday by writing his name on the dotted line on the letter-of-intent to continue his academic and athletic careers with the Cardinals in the fall of 2018.
Walsh made a “recruiting trip” to the middle school to gauge interest and ability of future track & field athletes. He offered pizza to the winner of the softball throw and Jacobs won the pizza with the longest toss.
“Coach found me in middle school,” explained Jacobs, who was playing baseball at the time. “He asked ‘Who wants to win a free pizza?'”
Jacobs didn’t necessarily hit the runway in stride as a sophomore, though.
“I started rough. I threw it sideways. The first time it smacked me on the side of the head,” Jacobs recounted with a smile.
Jacobs straightened out the javelin by the end of his sophomore season, finishing eighth in the WPIAL Class AAA championships with a throw of 173-2, missing the state qualifying mark by just over four feet.
He improved throughout his junior season this past spring and earned a WPIAL medal and a berth into the PIAA finals by finishing fifth with a throw of 183-7.
Jacobs then picked the right time to throw a personal best, throwing the javelin 190-6 at Shippensburg’s Seth Grove Stadium to place fifth in the state in Class AAA.
Jacobs had lots of offers to mull through before deciding on Louisville.
“I received tons of letters and emails. It was very stressful days,” said Jacobs, who plans on majoring in secondary math education. “I enjoyed the process. Everyone was super nice I talked to.”
Jacobs visited Louisville, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Akron, and the University of Connecticut before deciding on Louisville.
“Louisville is in the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference). All the facilitities are nice. The coaches are amazing. It felt like family. Everyone was so welcoming.”
Jacobs has high aspirations for his final high school season, as well as his future.
“I want to win (the state) gold medal,” started Jacobs. “I want to be the ACC champion and take it to nationals.”
And maybe, one day, the Summer Olympics?
“Hopefully,” said Jacobs, “If everything works out.”