By Malcolm Butler
Craig Moss knew Annie Jones was an athlete.
However, until a fateful day back in the winter of 2020, Moss had no idea that she was more than just a runner.
Annie, the daughter of Jason and Laura Jones, was a member of the Cedar Creek cross country team and ran hurdles for the Lady Cougars outdoor track and field team.
However, that was it … until Moss saw her throw a football one day.
“It was on the football field during PE,” said Moss. “Out of the corner of my eye I see somebody winging a football, and it was going 40, 50 yards with velocity. And I turn around, and it’s Annie Jones. I was like ‘Oh my gosh.’ I thought some dude had a heck of an arm and instead it was Annie. It was amazing to see her throw a football.”
Although Annie admits she didn’t even know what a javelin was, she quickly learned. And after competing in just two meets the spring of her sophomore year due to Covid 19, she proceeded to capture the Louisiana Class A state title as a junior in 2021 with a throw of 115-feet, 3-inches.
Not bad for a young lady who is still learning how to master a new craft. Even Annie said she didn’t realize she possessed her relatively-new found ability.
“I knew I had a pretty good arm because of softball, but I didn’t know really what javelin even was,” said Annie., who also finished third in the state in the high jump last year with a mark of 4-foot-10-inches. “Really it was a surprise. The softball throw is different than the javelin throw, and so its really hard to re-learn the mechanics. I still have trouble sometimes still trying to throw it like a softball.”
It’s that God-given talent that led Annie to sign a scholarship on Wednesday to further her academic and athletic career at Louisiana Tech. Annie was joined in the Cedar Creek Library yesterday morning by her large yet tight-knit family who were all smiles.
“With us both being Tech graduates, it’s always been our dream for our kids to go to Tech,” said her father, Jason. “To have a chance for your kid to compete at the Division I level for your alma mater, that’s just really special.”
Even Annie’s aunt Leah Beasley, who played softball at Louisiana Tech for four years, left at 3 a.m. from Norman, Oklahoma, to be at the special day.
“Yeah, she surprised me,” said Annie. “I was excited to see her.”
It’s been a whirlwind few days for Annie. She and her father were driving to visit Lamar in Beaumont, Texas, on Friday when she got the call and the scholarship offer from the Tech coaching staff.
“We didn’t know who the Tech coaches were going to be until recently, so we were reaching out to different schools to see what my options may be,” said Annie. “We saw the Tech coaches at the homecoming game (a few weeks ago), and we talked to them. We stayed in contact through phone calls and then (Friday) they offered me.”
Off the track, Annie is a star in the classroom as well. Some of her accolades include AP Scholar, National Honor Society, Silver Key in the Scholastic Writing Contest, NCLAC Peach Festival Art Exhibit Youth Category for Best in Show, and the Duke TIP Scholar.
She is involved in the Cougar Ambassadors, French Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Art Club, Kindness Club, and the Youth Leadership Team at First Baptist Church.
And come the fall of 2023, Annie will add Louisiana Tech student athlete to her resume.
“I am excited. I really wanted to stay at Tech and be a legacy family,” said Annie. “But I think my Dad is more excited than me honestly.”
