When WashU junior Jared Dawkins stood preparing to triple jump at the University of Indianapolis Scott Fangman Invitational on December 6, 2025, he found himself with uncharacteristic anxiety. “When I’m on the line in the triple jump, I usually feel pretty confident and kind of relaxed, but not this time,” he admitted. “I had a sort of fear I had never felt. It was super scary and I was literally shaking on the runway.” This was no ordinary event as it marked the first time Dawkins competed in a meet in more than 19 months, since suffering a broken femur at the 2025 UAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Pittsburgh. “I was thinking, ‘Wow, this is going to be my first triple jump since the injury.’ I told myself that I was never going to do this again and here I was,” Dawkins explained. “I was there to conquer the fear. I didn’t care as much about the mark, especially since I was doing a short approach, so I knew it wasn’t going to be a PR (personal record). The biggest thing for me was proving I could do it.” He acknowledges that he was still battling the trepidation as he continued competing in January. “I’m still doing a short approach, so I’m not necessarily seeing the results I want, but it’s all coming together,” remarked Dawkins, who also continues to battle a nagging injury that preceded the main injury. “My hamstring ended up getting super tight on my first jump (in December), which was rough because I feel like that is something that just keeps happening to me. My hamstring keeps giving out on me and I need it to remain stable. Still, I was so happy that I was able run through it and get that jump in. The fear factor is not completely gone, but it’s not nearly as drastic now that I’ve competed.” Coach Fleagle and Building for the Return When Dawkins began rehabbing at WashU, he was doing so with a new jumps coach to him in UAA veteran and former University of Chicago assistant coach Stephen Fleagle. Realizing that Dawkins was facing several challenges, including adjusting to being coached by someone new, Fleagle began their relationship by discussing something they had in common. “I said, ‘Jared, you and I have a connection most coaches and athletes don’t have. We have both broken our femurs. It happened when I was nine years old. I recovered and competed in high school and college. I know you are a person who can come back from that injury with a lot of hard work,’” Fleagle expressed. Fleagle was confident immediately that the two would make a good pair. “I saw right away that he had this beautiful spirit about him and I could envision what he was like as a teammate and friend. He is part of so much at WashU and has a heart for others,” he commented. “He wanted to remain part of the team, be plugged in, and regain some confidence. We wanted to retrain his body to manage ground contact after feeling the worst pain, so we had him high jump a lot last year, not to compete but to be with his teammates and give him opportunities to learn, all jumping off his other leg.”
Dawkins served as the team’s student recruiting ambassador in Fall 2024. “Even though I wasn’t competing, I was still able to be a very active part of our team, which was a blessing. I still got to be around my coaches, hang out with my teammates, and speak to nearly all the recruits who are on the team now,” he communicated.
“I was able to still play a part and even do some running and jumping, which I had not done for so long. By the end of the spring semester, it was literally just seeing if my body would move again. Even clearing a bar, which wasn’t anything extraordinary, was crazy to me — that I was able to do anything again.”
“Coming back to the team was a feat in itself. He has a whole other life at WashU in addition to his heavy academic workload. It would have been easy for him to say, ‘I had my time, but now it is time to do something else.’ Yet he stayed active, remained with the team, went to practice, spent time with us and the community we have built here. His recruitment of current first-year student-athletes not only kept him involved, but benefited the program,” recounted Dawkins’ senior teammate Jalen Dural. “Jared embodies what so many WashU students personify in his willingness to collaborate. Even though only so many athletes can be on the travel squad, WashU track and field athletes don’t feel threatened. Jared did so much with our recruits, getting them information about classes, professors to talk to, and events to attend,” Fleagle stated. “He was already picturing the recruits as future teammates and family. He is very involved at WashU, pouring his life into more than track & field. His identity doesn’t lie in one thing, and he exemplifies the balance of WashU student-athletes. Jared has the personality and ability to be a great leader.” Summer 2025 This past summer marked the final in a series of surgeries since the original injury, where they removed the hardware that was still in his leg. “It was a quicker surgery than the previous ones as they basically removed the nails in my knee and the rod that was in my femur. It was good not having any foreign objects in my body. I didn’t realize how awkward it felt having a metal rod and nails in my leg until they were gone,” Dawkins expressed. His summer was intense between rehab and his internship in product management, which is what he wants to pursue a career in. “The summer was essentially me trying to get back the strength in my left leg since I spent so long not using it. Every part of my lower left side was weaker from my quads to my calves to my hips. I did a lot of isolated isometric exercises on my left leg, while also trying to maintain the strength on my right side and upper body,” he described. “This was in addition to running and trying to get my whole body back in shape while also working. It was the weirdest training I have done and definitely an interesting summer!” A double major in marketing and organization & strategic management who is minoring in human-computer interaction, Dawkins spent the summer as an intern for the Bradley Company in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin working in product management. “It was located more than an hour from my home, so I would get up early to drive to work and then after working eight hours, would drive home to run and/or go to the gym to lift and do some cross-training there. Then I went home, ate dinner, chilled for a little while, and started all over the following day,” he explained. In addition, he was doing an externship with Amazon working in operational strategy and human analytics. “It was a very busy summer, but it was fun, and I enjoyed it. This summer, my plans are to intern in NYC as a product management intern at Walt Disney while continuing to rebuild my full-body strength.” Continued Support He has been encouraged by the support he has received not only from his own teammates, but from others in the UAA as well. He finished third in the triple jump at the UAA championship based on his best jump before the injury. While Dawkins was at the hospital for the awards presentation, his jersey was held up on the podium by Aryan Shrivastava of University of Chicago. Shrivastava is looking forward to the two competing against one another again and sent Dawkins the following message: “Hey Jared, it’s so good to hear that you’re back competing! I can ‘t imagine how much heart it took to make that decision. I know you’ve kept up a really positive spirit even through some down times. I am really looking forward to seeing you around and competing head-to-head like before.” Another UAA supporter has been Simon Stumbris of Emory, who was one of several fellow competitors to send a get-well video message after Dawkins’ injury. “I was jumping two jumpers after him and I remember seeing it happen and everyone reacting in a shocked and emotional way,” recollected Stumbris, who has been sidelined by a knee injury. “It was a moment I don’t think anyone there will ever forget. After I sent him a video wishing him luck in his surgery, it was great to hear that he was doing well. It was also great to see the UAA triple jumper community come together for him and try to lift him up. It’s awesome to see him coming back to competition. That is no easy feat and as someone who also went through a UAA sport career-changing injury, I relate to him and wish him the best. I can’t wait to see what he does, and I know he will kill it!" Carnegie Mellon University jumps coach Michele Bradley helped coordinate the UAA project to send get-well videos to Dawkins and has followed his recovery with great interest. “Having witnessed the moment his season and life changed, I am impressed with Jared’s strength and resilience. His return to the track this year, paired with his academic success at WashU, reflects remarkable determination. I hope I get the opportunity to shake his hand (or give him a hug) at the UAA meet!” she stated. Carnegie Mellon Head Coach Gary Aldrich is thrilled that Dawkins has returned to competition. “It has been 21 months since I last saw Jared jumping at CMU. Seeing him in the hospital after his injury was not easy. Even watching him as an athlete for an arch-rival, I saw that he was an incredible athlete and person, the kind of person I would want in my program!” Aldrich commented. “It makes me smile so much to see Jared’s name on the performance list once again and I hope to see him at the UAA championship again. His ability to come back from such a traumatic injury is incredible. He had the love and support of his family and the WashU family to enhance his desire and dedication. We are all in Jared’s corner. Welcome back Jared and have a great year… just don’t beat us!” Setting Goals
“The mental toughness Jared had to want to triple jump again and do it off the other leg was impressive. He didn’t give himself enough credit for even competing again,” Dural expressed. “It took such mental fortitude to even be on that runway. I wanted him to sit with that and understand no matter what the mark was, he got back and jumped. That was an amazing win!”
Dawkins still faces challenges to get back to full strength, but he and Fleagle are confident it is possible. “I am seeing what a competitor he is. His other leg may be compensating still, so we are always working on finding out how to add a little more and trust that it is safe. So many people let an injury like that end their career, but he has great support from his teammates. The goal is to keep building back his confidence. We don’t see any step as a failure, but more of a redirection,” he stated. “When you see him around, he is so happy-go-lucky, but he is intense when it is time to get things done. He is especially competitive in wanting to be the best. With two new triple jumpers in addition to me, he wants to prove he is still the best triple jumper on the team. That is a big driving factor for him this season,” Dural stated.
“Just being able compete again was huge and that was my first goal. My goal now is to qualify for nationals. I felt like I was getting close my freshman year before everything happened. I just want to stay healthy and make sure I am taking the proper steps to prevent any new injuries,” Dawkins remarked. “I also don’t want it to be about me. Our jump squad is super close, and we all bring such positive vibes that I want to be there to support my teammates. Being around the men’s and women’s jumpers at WashU is a goldmine for me.” Note: This is a follow-up story to the February 2025 story that documented Dawkins’ original injury and aftermath.
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Photos courtesy of WashU