Jack Cottrell

ALiberty Men’s Tennis Media Day on September 25th, 2023. (Photo by Cassidy Paxton)

Class:
Redshirt Sophomore
Position:
Distance
Height:
5-9
Hometown:
Chattanooga, Tenn.
Prev School:
Chattanooga Christian School

TFRRS Profile

All-CUSA Honors (3)
2023 Cross Country – 15th
2024 Cross Country - 11th
2025 Indoor 3K - 3rd

All-ASUN Honors (2)

2022 Cross Country - 13th

2023 Indoor 5K - 3rd

2024 Outdoor Track & Field (R-So.)

Did not compete in any races

2023-24 Indoor Track & Field (R-So.)

Came in eighth in the 5K and 10^th in the 3K at the CUSA Championship
Fastest 3K time of the year (8:24.87) came at the Penn State National Open

2023 Cross Country (Jr.)

Placed No. 4 among the Flames and No. 94 overall at the NCAA Division I Southeast Regional Championships
Earned third team All-CUSA honors with a 15^th-place showing (Liberty’s No. 6) runner at the conference meet
Clocked a season-best 8K time of 24:23.8 while serving as the Flames’ No. 2 finisher at the XC23 Pre-Nationals

2023 Outdoor Track & Field (R-Fr.)

Came in sixth in the ASUN 10K and seventh in the 5K
Ran a Liberty freshman-record 29:54.55 10K at the Bryan Clay Invitational to crack Liberty’s all-time top 10
Fastest 5K of the season (14:13.06) also came on the West Coast, at the Stanford Invitational

2022-23 Indoor Track & Field (R-Fr.)

Finished third in the 5K (personal-best 14:05.30) and fourth in the 3K (personal-best 8:12.54) at the ASUN meet. His 5K time set a Liberty freshman record and ranks No. 5 all-time for the Flames.
Lowered his 3K time at each of the four meets where he contested it, going from 8:26.72 at the Virginia Tech Invitational to 8:12.54 at the ASUN Championship six weeks later

2022 Cross Country (So.)

Liberty’s No. 2 runner at the NCAA Division I Southeast Regional Championship, clocking 30:57.1 for 52^nd place in his 10K debut
Also served as the Flames’ No. 2 finisher at the ASUN Championship, crossing the line 13^th in an 8K personal-best 24:02.1 for second team All-ASUN distinction

2022 Outdoor Track & Field (Fr.)

Did not compete in any races for Liberty
Running unattached, won three races, including the Dr. Jack M. Toms Alumni Invitational 5K (14:44.47), WildCat Twilight 1,500 (3:58.78) and Liberty Twilight Qualifier 5K (14:54.41)

2021-22 Indoor Track & Field (Fr.)

Did not compete in any races for Liberty
Running unattached, took 3K runner-up honors at the Brant Tolsma Invitational in 8:29.47

Fall 2021 Cross Country (Fr.)

46^th-place finisher at the ASUN Championship
Clocked a season-best 8K time of 25:03.0 for 213^th place overall and the No. 7 spot on the team at the FSU XC Invite/Pre-Nationals
Named ASUN Freshman of the Week on Sept. 28 following his Liberty debut, a 147^th-place showing at the Roy Griak Invitational

Prep

Graduated from Chattanooga Christian School
As a senior, captured Tennessee Division II-AA individual state titles in both cross country and the 3,200 on the track
Top times included 4:18.17 in the mile, 9:24.59 in the 3,200 and 15:34 in the cross country 5K

Personal

Son of Ben and Julie Cottrell
Mother ran cross country at Tennessee Tech
Birthday is May 23
Military studies major

Student-Athlete Q&A
What made Liberty University the right place for you to attend college/compete at the collegiate level?
Coming out of high school, I wanted, and still want, to compete on a team driven to glorify God and perform at a national level. Coach Isaac's ambition, combined with a great team culture, made Liberty the perfect choice.

Is there anything special you do pregame or postgame and why?
Taking cold showers before the race increases muscle tension and gives my legs a lot of pop.

Who in your life inspires you and why are they such an inspiration?
My teammates inspire me. Whenever I get bogged down mentally or physically during a hard workout, it's refreshing to look around and see teammates who are still working hard. I know that if they can do it, I can, too.

What is your most memorable athletic moment/accomplishment?
Placing third in the 2023 ASUN indoor 5k has been my most memorable athletic moment over the past two years. I faced a difficult mental and emotional battle that winter, so it was a great breakthrough to run a 39 second PR. My favorite athletic accomplishment of my life has always been, and may always be, winning my first high school state title in November of senior year.

Do you have any relatives who are playing or have played college or professional sports? (Names, relation to you, what/where they played)?
My mother ran cross country at Tennessee Tech. My great uncle, Stan Cottrell, used to hold the world record for the fastest time run across America.

Favorite meal (breakfast/lunch/dinner) and what is that special meal?
Panda Express orange chicken has my heart.

What is the first app you check on your phone each day?
The verse of the day on the Bible app.

What is your favorite hobby outside of athletics?
I like reading and writing.

Do you have any current pets (name and type of animal)?
We have two cats back home in Chattanooga. Their names are Big Smoke and Cinder.

What is your dream vacation spot and why?
I love the beach.