Interview by Abernathy Cochran intern and Gainesville High School senior Donangelo Marshall

Meet Andrew Jones! He is a cross county runner at North Hall High School and recently committed to the University of Virginia to run cross country. He has a notable running record and has even won a state championship in the 5k (GHSA 3A). He has two sisters and his parents J and Christy Jones.

Question: What is your favorite thing about North Hall High School?
Answer: “I really like the school. Everyone there is really supportive and I feel like there is a good learning environment there. I feel a personal touch with most people there and I feel like they really invest a lot in each kid so you don’t feel like a random student.”

Q: Why do you love the sport you do?
A: “I was introduced to running in the fourth grade but I didn’t start running competitively till the seventh. I’ve played a lot of sports before running but running was always my favorite, then I discovered that I had an aptitude for the sport…and it progressed from there.”

Q: What is your favorite restaurant in Hall County?
A: “I like Wing and Burger Factory. I get 10 boneless wings, half lemon pepper and half honey lemon pepper. It’s some of the best food you’ll ever have.”

Q: Who’s your favorite Teacher or Coach and why?
A: “My favorite Teacher and Coach is Coach Borg. He’s very supportive and he helps me get a lot of opportunities and he’s a great Coach. He pushes me to my limits and helps me become a better runner.”

Q: Why do you love Hall County?
A: “I really like Hall County because you’re not right in the middle of the city but you’re also not super far away. You can get to the mountains in an hour and you can get to the city in an hour and we also have a really nice lake. I think it’s a safe environment and the education system is good, so we get a lot more opportunities than some other places.”

Q: What is one lesson you have learned from your sport?
A: “It’s taught me the more you put into something the better you’re going to get out of it. I feel like if you slack and don’t train you’re going to see bad results, but if you stay faithful and train consistently you’re going to see good results most of the time.”

Q: What is your advice to younger athletes doing your sport?
A: “Don’t wait for success to come knocking on your door. I feel like when I was younger, I expected that in the future I was going to become this and do that, but in reality I should of started going after my goals then. If you wait around for success to come towards you then you’re never going to reach your goal.”

Q: Why did you choose to commit to the University of Virginia?
A: “I was looking for a mix of a really good running school with great academics and I found both at Virginia. This is the coaches first year back, he retired back in 2012; his name is Vin Lananna. He coached at Stanford and Oregon, he helped built the success at Oregon and the name as a really good running school. He has 11 national championships and he’s coached guys like Galen Rupp and other Olympians. I feel like if anyone is going to help me get to the next level it’s going to be him.”