Dimond grad Todd still holds school’s record for most varsity letters earned
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (BVM) — Within the Anchorage School District, Jessica Todd, who graduated from Dimond High School in 2011, holds the record for the most high school varsity letters earned by a single athlete (17).
An only child with boundless energy in need of an outlet, her parents enrolled her in gymnastics at the age of 3. Flexible and nimble, she took to it immediately.
Todd played her first pickup soccer match when she was 4, while living in Malacca, Malaysia. Among the mix of boys and girls of all ages with whom she played, Todd was quick to learn and fast on her feet, proving she already understood the game.
Just before Todd turned 8, her family moved to Houston, where her parents would again enroll her in gymnastics. She trained at the same gym Olympic athletes used, and the coaches recognized her as a child with potential.
All the while, she was playing competitive soccer, taking piano lessons and going to school. At her young age, Todd’s parents decided a more well-rounded approach toward sports was best, rather than a focus on just one.
This is quite possibly the mindset that drove her to compete in six different sports in high school.
In 2003, the family moved to Cork, Ireland, where Todd again played competitive soccer. She also ran track for the Blarney-Inniscarra Athletic Club. In 2004, she participated nationally in the All-Ireland Youth Athletics Meet in Tullamore, specifically competing in the 4×200 meter relay and the high jump.
Moving again in July 2005, Todd’s family made their way to Anchorage, Alaska. In short order, she was playing competitive soccer with the Cook Inlet soccer team.
At the same time, she became part of a running club and traveled with them to Indianapolis to compete in the Junior Olympics.
In Alaska, because it is not always feasible to attend Junior Olympic qualifiers, athletes are allowed to run as independents, provided they have a timed trial.
Todd’s experience running nationally in Ireland did not quite prepare her for the vast number and caliber of athletes at the Junior Olympics. It was an eye-opening experience, but it did not deter her from competing the following year in Baltimore.
As a freshman at Dimond, Todd participated in three sports – gymnastics in the fall, and track and soccer in the spring. As one can imagine, it was grueling work to participate in two sports within a single season.
But Todd would find a way to train both before and after school, all while maintaining her grade average.
Where some high school coaches demand full commitment to a single sport, the coaches at Dimond High School facilitated Todd’s desire to play two sports per season so both teams could benefit from her considerable talent.
“Jessica would play in a regional soccer game on Thursday night,” Kathleen Navarre – Todd’s former track coach – reminisced. “And then she’d fly to Fairbanks, where I would pick her up at midnight so she could compete on Friday and Saturday in state track.”
Todd was a two-time long jump state champion in high school. She played a part in Dimond winning three state championships in track, as well as a girls soccer state championship. Todd also helped her teams to take home the Cook Inlet championship in flag football and win the Cook Inlet championship in cheer.
When she graduated in 2011, Todd had to choose between an athletic scholarship for soccer or track. She chose to run track for the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. She maintained her scholarship and competed for four years, setting several school records and earning all-conference honors her sophomore and junior years. Todd also helped coach the track team after she was no longer competing.
It has been nine years since the Dimond grad set the record for the most varsity letters earned by one student in the school district, and she still holds it today. Todd was fortunate that Dimond coaches were open to sharing her many talents, and she is still remembered as being one of the most versatile athletes to ever attend the school.
Todd lettered three times in gymnastics, four times in soccer, four times in track, one time in flag football, three times in basketball cheer and twice in cross country. Earning 17 varsity letters is a remarkable achievement that could stand for a long time in Anchorage.
