Carvel Jackson

Carvel Jackson

When you talk about Carvel Jackson's Hall of Fame credentials - and we are not the first Hall of Fame to recognize them - you have to make a list of all the tremendous things that happened during his 29-year tenure at Mesa Community College.

From 1969 through '75, his Track & Field teams won 6 national championships;

• He coached 89 All-Americans;
• He coached a national champion in every Track & Field event;
• His dual meet record was 114 and 5
  (That’s an unbelievable 96 per cent winning percentage!)
• He was twice named Coach of the Year by the National Junior College Athletic Assn.
• It was on his watch as Athletic Director that the Health Improvement Center was built.

Typical of Carvel’s "let's-get-it-done" attitude, he worked in concert with then-President Theo Heap and others to raise $350,000 in public donations to build this facility. Some companies donated materials, others gave hard cash. As Carvel was quoted at the time, "If there ever was an All-American project, we’ve got it."

Before Mesa, Carvel's track and cross country teams won state championships at just-opened Westwood High School. Later in his career, he was invited to coach United States teams in international competition. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from his alma mater - Utah State University, and he was twice inducted into the City of Mesa Sports Hall of Fame.

At the time of Carvel’s retirement in 1989, his successor as Athletic Director - Tom Bennett commented, "He was always so positive, no matter what was happening. He is the kind of person you'd like to work for in any profession."

Carvel summed up his legacy best, saying, "I'm really proud of what's here. Our facilities are top-notch, and Mesa is probably in the best condition coaching-wise in the nation."