By Michael Kinney
Jordan Atkinson knew something was wrong. At the 70-meter mark of her 100-meter dash, Atkinson’s body was telling her something was out of order as she felt her hamstring tighten.
Atkinson could have just stopped right there. Many would. Tearing a hamstring is a setback that some athletes never fully recover from.
Instead, Atkinson focused on the final 30 meters and just tried to maintain the lead she had established. That last bit of willpower was enough for her to hold off some stiff competition from Edmond Santa Fe’s Nia Moore to win the Oklahoma 6A State Championship in the 100 meters.
“I just really refused to give up in that race,” Atkinson said. “I didn’t want to lose. I don’t know how I did it. I keep thinking back to it, and I’m like, I really don’t know how I did that. I fully believe that the Holy Spirit was just moving through me that race. I don’t know how I was able to finish because it really did hurt really badly. But I was able to hold on and push through that.”
While Atkinson’s time of 12.01 was nowhere near her personal best or the state record (11.38), her older sister Jada Atkinson set in 2021, it was good enough to get the job done.
It was the culmination of what had already been a standout couple of days in which Jordan joined Kassidi Watkins, Kamyah Penn and Moriah Young to win the 4×100 (46.16) and 4×200 (1:37.14) relays and set new state records in both.
What Atkinson didn’t know at the time was that her victory in the 100 meters had set a new bar for individual achievement in the state. She became the first athlete in Oklahoma history with four straight 100-meter championships.
In fact, Atkinson actually broke the record last year with three straight, but it wasn’t brought to Mustang’s attention until after this year’s meet, according to Coach Shanon Atkinson.
“It’s kind like witnessing something as a coach that you know you’ll never witness again,” said Shanon Atkinson, who is also Jordan’s father. “You may never have that kind of opportunity again to coach somebody who can come in as a freshman and win the title for four straight years. For a freshman to come in and start that process, you are kind of taken aback at that point.”
Jordan won her first title as a freshman at Southmoore High in 2022, after watching her older sister do it the year before.
Then she came back and defended her championship as a sophomore, but not without some adversity. A leg injury had her considering sitting out the postseason.
But both Jordan and her dad prayed on it and let their faith guide them. She went on to run a 12.07 to add another gold to her resume.
However, Atkinson’s toughest challenge wouldn’t come until the next year when coach Atkinson took over the Mustang Track & Field Program, and she transferred with him. While physically she finally tuned, it was the off-track issues that took their toll on her. Despite winning four gold medals and helping bring the Broncos their first track championship, she didn’t enjoy the season.
But after going through that, it made the records she set this year something she could truly revel in.
“I would say so 100 percent because we’re able to appreciate more the love and support that we all have for each other because we didn’t have that much last year,” Jordan said. “It was very negative last year. And this year we as seniors knew me and Kassidi (Watkins) and all the other seniors made sure to make this year the complete opposite of last year and to be good role models and good leaders and help these freshmen and lower classmen see what it’s like to lead a team so that they can do that as well in the future. And I’m very thankful that I had such great teammates this year to help me through hard times, as we all helped each other through everything.”
The one bittersweet moment Jordan had was being unable to defend her title in the 200 meters. After her hamstring tightened up in the 100, she went to her coach and asked if she should still run in the 200 finals.
By that point, the writing was on the wall that Mustang was not going to be able to hold off Edmond Memorial from winning the team title. So, Coach Atkinson told his daughter, she had done enough.
“I said you have already given this state so much to be thankful for,” Coach Atkinson said. “I said I think the 100 was your curtain call. She started to cry as I’m telling her all that. I told her you’ve done everything you can do.”
However, there was still one more thing she was going to do to help her team. When the 200-meter finals began, Jordan was on the track holding the blocks for Penn. She watched as the next generation of sprinters took second and fifth in the race.
“I won’t ever forget that day because it was the most bittersweet moment I can think of,” Jordan said. “I was so heartbroken I couldn’t finish the day I wanted to, but I was so happy that the day was finished the way that God wanted it to be finished. My dad put it in perspective for me when he told me that it’s a good thing to show everybody the future of Mustang now, and there’s nothing wrong with showing everyone the future of Mustang now with Kamyah Penn, Moriah Young being in the 200, and giving them a chance to shine. I think that helped me a lot because I love those girls so much, and to be able to see them perform so well in the 200, and me being able to watch and cheer them on.”
With her prep career officially over, Jordan now has her eyes set on the next chapter in her life. She signed a letter of intent to run track at the University of Oklahoma.
As a collegiate freshman, Jordan will be teaming up with her sister Jada, who will be in her final season with the Sooners. She will also be joined by Watkins, who signed with OU as well.
Back in 2022, Jordan couldn’t have imagined any of what she has done so far taking place. At that time, she knew there was a plan, but she just couldn’t see it.
“If anything, I always thought that I would only get better, and that’s only the confidence I had because of the Lord,” Jordan said. “Even when I wasn’t that strong in my faith, I just always trusted that God had my future planned out perfectly, so there’s going to be ups and downs, but I just know that God will continue to guide me through my life. I never doubted. That’s all it is.”
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