Danvers High School and Peabody High are six miles apart. That’s probably a light run for Danvers’ Bobbi Serino, and Peabody’s Alex Jackson could probably throw a shot from one to the other.
The Moynihan Lumber North Shore Student-Athlete award is a monthly honor given to one male and one female for their excellence in the classroom and athletic competition. April recipients are Danvers field hockey and track star Serino, and Jackson, a track and football standout at Peabody.
Flip through a local newspaper or scroll through social media. You could say these names are well-known across the North Shore sports landscape – and for good reason.
Jackson, a junior, has received college offers from Syracuse, UMass Amherst, Akron, and, just this week, James Madison and Fordham. He plans on studying business, but isn’t sure where just yet.
“I don’t know yet. That’s a good question,” he said.
In the shot put, he is undefeated in Massachusetts with a personal record of 60-6, and placed fifth in Nike Scholastic Nationals. His discus PR stands at 169’ and he’s been named MSTCA (Mass State Coaches Association) Track & Field Indoor Athlete of The Year.
When asked about his favorite memory, Jackson was quick to respond.
“Becoming an All-American,” he said. “I went to New Balance and Nike Nationals in New York and Boston. Shot in New York was my least likely to be All-American in, and that’s what I got… It was not only a big surprise, but very relieving. All of the hard work, and it’s paying off.”
Jackson works out six days a week and spends most of his time throwing. Then, there’s the support he gets from coaches Fernando Braz (track and field), Jay Smith (throwing), and Mark Bettencourt (football).
“They really do everything for me. All of my coaches are like my family. I’m really close with all of them,” Jackson said. “Whether it’s going over for dinner once in a while, or going out to eat with my family, I’m really close… If I need extra help with school or an extra practice on a Sunday or something, they’re always there.”
Always there, like Jackson’s presence on the football field. The lineman recorded 41.5 tackles, four sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble last fall, all while allowing zero sacks on the offensive end.
Outside of competition, he sports a 3.03 GPA on top of community service.
“You have to choose your priorities. If you choose the right priority, then it’s pretty straightforward,” said Jackson, whose pre-competition meal is pasta or some type of wrap. “It’s a lot of hard work, but you just have to make the right choices.”
Jackson admits his success in the classroom wasn’t always there.
“Freshman year, coming off COVID, I didn’t care about school, really,” he said. “It’s been a lot better since then… It was a realization. If I wanted to go to college, I had to get my grades up.”
Well, he certainly has options, and chalk up the Moynihan award as another accomplishment.
“It’s a big award. It really means a lot. I’ve come from not really caring about school to winning an award like this,” Jackson said. “It’s nice to be a part of this group.”
