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Sebastian Jean, a Rampart High School alum, earned his spot at the national meet after winning the 400-meter dash at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a time of 46.15 seconds.
That performance placed him in the top ten nationally.
Jean's track career began in high school when he joined the team as a junior hoping to get faster for basketball. That year, he only competed in the 100-meter and 200-meter races, but things changed the following season.
"We got a new coach my senior year. I ran one 400 in high school then qualified for state. I ran a 49.7 in high school as my PR (personal record). My first ever 400, qualified for state and then coach called me up with a scholarship and here I am," said Jean.
His first two years at UCCS presented challenges, but this season has been a breakthrough as he qualified for both the indoor and outdoor championships in the 400-meter event.
"It's been a grind. Fought through a little bit of injury. Fought through a little bit of internal things. Mental problems, not mental problems, but I had to really fight through it and make sure this is what I wanted to do. Then this year, I popped off. I can only thank my team, my coach, and thank the lord up above but it's been great," said Jean.
Having a top ten time nationally isn't enough to satisfy Jean's competitive drive. He has set the bar higher for himself as he heads into the national meet.
"I just want to (be) All-American. Indoor I (was an) All-American but it was second team, so no trophy. So, I'm hoping to come home with one trophy this time," said Jean.
Jean has qualified to compete in four events at this week's championship meet, which will be held at CSU Pueblo.
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