JADA HARPER
Harper’ s track start began from humble beginnings. But the love of track didn’ t start on the cinder track. But rather playing flag football when they used to live in Ohio.
“ We used to live in Ohio and the way she got her start was we put her on a flag football team,” said Nora Harper, Jada’ s mother.“ They put the ball in her hand, she took off running and all of the boys were just falling to catch her. I was thinking:‘ Oh this girl is running track.’”
When the Harpers moved back to Louisville, Jada was 6-7 years old when she joined the Kentucky Fillies Elite Track Club, an all-female based AAU track team.
After a year, the then coach moved to Texas and left a spot open. As that team ceased, Nora and Harold Allen, parent of Alexandra Allen, formed their own team.
“ I felt like nobody else was going to give her the effort that I could give her,” Nora Harper said.“ I saw the one percent in her and I knew it was special, so I wanted her nurtured the right way, learned everything that I could and I just wanted to be part of it. I knew one day she would be great.”
At just 9-years old in 2019, the duo accomplished different feats on the track. Harper won the 400- and 800-meter national events while Allen was a 12-time All-American part of AAU and United States of America Track and Field.
Two years later, Harper won the 800 in winning the national title in 2 minutes, 19.58 seconds, missed beating the national record by 31 seconds.
“ At first I was thinking about getting out and stayed with the girls that were in first,” Harper said during an interview with Mile Split in 2021.“ I stayed with the leader and got a little faster near the end.”
Follow us on Facebook
ONE FREE GAME OF BOWLING
with the purchase of the shoe rental. Subject to lane availability
JAN / FEB 2026 NEWS AND TRIBUNE SPORTS MAGAZINE PAGE NO. 13