Know Your Neighbor: Ambitious Athlete

Photo by Marie Sheehan

With a rhythmic stride, arms pumping at her sides, and keen determination in her eyes, Elizabeth Jacobs powers through the final moments of her workout. What is going through her mind? According to Jacobs, “absolutely nothing,” She has “learned to let go and just run.”

Cross country running is only one of the three sports that this Princeton High School sophomore  performs at a varsity level. As a freshman, Jacobs earned herself a spot on the school’s varsity cross country, basketball, and lacrosse teams. Her plan is to participate in 12 varsity teams by the time she graduates high school. “I started high school with a goal,” she says. “Getting varsity letters for 12 teams is what I’m aiming for.”

Brought up in a family of athletes, Jacobs learned to value sports from a young age. Her father swam in the 1988 Olympics of Seoul, South Korea, while her mother played field hockey and ran track and field at the University of North Carolina. “It left an impression on me and I learned to value athletic excellence,” says Jacobs.

Marie Sheehan, Jacobs’s mother, is “tremendously proud” of her daughter’s accomplishments and encourages the young athlete to maintain structure in her life. “Elizabeth and I are always talking about structure,” says Sheehan. “She has a lot of commitments and goals, and it is important that she stays consistent and focused. Also, she should commit to something because she is passionate about it, and not just for the sake of doing it.”

In the fall of 2010, Jacobs, who had attended the Princeton Charter School since elementary school, made the transition to Princeton High School. Her first high school experience came in mid-August, on the first day of pre-season for cross country. Jacobs describes herself at this time as a “fish out of water.” This was the first time she would be running competitively; previously, she had only run to stay in shape. Additionally, she didn’t know a single person on the team.

As the season progressed, Jacobs found herself well-integrated into her new team and school. She brought a great amount of energy to the cross country team, often being reminded by James Smirk, head coach of the girls’ cross country team at Princeton High School, to “control [her] monkey.” Jacobs was also able to take her running to a new level, becoming very “in-touch” with her body and concentrating on breathing properly.

With a successful end to the cross country season and an approaching winter season, Jacobs began training for basketball. As the youngest member of the varsity basketball team, Jacobs says that everyone took her “under their wing.” She speaks fondly of the team and the coach, as well as the sport. “I love basketball,” she says. “The games are fast-paced and the smaller court size allows things to be very team-oriented.”

The arrival of the spring months, signaling the start of the lacrosse season, was a “breath of fresh air” for Jacobs. Having played the sport year-round for seven years, Jacobs knew everyone on the high school’s lacrosse team from her club teams and tournaments. “I’ve been playing with Liz since sixth grade and she is truly one of the funniest people I know,” says lacrosse teammate, Rachael Salerno. “In addition to that, she is a fantastic athlete and puts everything she has into every single game. I’m glad to have her as a friend and teammate.”

Lacrosse can be described as Jacobs’ “baby.” “It’s my sport,” she says. “When I’m on the field, I feel great. I feel comfortable. I feel like I’m doing what I should be doing.” One of her goals for the future is to play Division I lacrosse in college.

Before every athletic competition, whether it be a cross country meet, basketball game, or lacrosse game, Jacobs performs the same pre-competition ritual. She listens to her iPod, a favorite “pump up” artist being Lil Wayne. Next, she incorporates a quality stretching session, thinking about the nearing competition while doing so. “I know this is corny,” says Jacobs. “but I also need to have a good ponytail braid.”

As for post-competition, it is a custom for Jacobs to refuel with Greek yogurt. “Liz is always looking for a spoon for her yogurt,” chuckles cross country teammate, Alyssa Glover.

Athletic accomplishments at Jacobs’s level are accompanied by sacrifice. The sophomore discusses the sort of social sacrifices that result from her athletic commitments. “Sometimes I’m just too tired to hang out with friends,” she says. “Also, I know it’s not a smart decision for me to go out and stay up late.” Ultimately though, this isn’t a problem for Jacobs, because many of her closest friends are also her teammates.

In the area of academics, this student-athlete believes that sports assist her much more than they hinder her. Despite the large amount of time varsity athletics take up in her life, Jacobs says that sports keep her “grounded and focused.” She explains that she doesn’t perform well academically with too much time on her hands and that athletic commitments help her understand the concept of a deadline. “I’m forced to get work done without procrastinating,” she says. “When I get home, I know that there are things I need to do before the next day.”

This high schooler stands apart from most of her peers by the fact that she doesn’t have a Facebook account. “I don’t know what I’m missing, but I guess it’s one less distraction,” she says. In the little spare time that she does have between school and athletics, Jacobs engages in photography, something that she says many people don’t know about her. Her work has been featured in The Love Show, an art show fundraiser by Princeton’s Small World café.

Jacobs plans to stay dedicated to her goal of playing for 12 varsity teams by the time she graduates high school, allowing herself to “grow as both an athlete and a person” in the meantime. “You have to find something that you love and just go for it,” she says. “Stay focused and know everything will work out.”

(Editor's Note:  AllPrinceton's "Know Your Neighbor" series hopes to encourage submissions from Princeton residents who would like to highlight the community contributions of someone they know.  E-mail us to suggest the next "Know Your Neighbor" profile.)