Even though not at 100 percent, she starred at the World Youth Olympic Games in Singapore by winning the 400 in 52.57 - which led the USA preps last year - and anchoring the victorious 400-meter relay. She was 16 at the time and was competing against athletes up to 19 years of age.
Robin Reynolds doesn't just win inFlorida - she also took home medalsfrom Singapore.
Photo by Carl Cunningham
"It felt awesome. Still, even now I'm speechless," she said of her first international competition. "Running on a level like that against people from all over the world, not knowing who my competition is. I know that one day going pro and to the Olympics is possible and not just a pipe dream. It was like a wakeup call saying, ‘Yeah, I can do this.' It can be my future."
Reynolds is a young lady who never wants to admit defeat, but she did concede she lost twice while in Singapore. The first loss came in collecting souvenir buttons from other countries. She brought home close to 30, but two other girls topped her.
Then, there were those 12 flights of stairs and a long walk to eat at the cafeteria every day. She admitted to not even trying to win those races to the chow line.
Track isn't the only sport in which Reynolds has made an impact. She was Jackson's leading basketball scorer this year with a 17-point average and a high game of 32 points. She also averaged eight rebounds, eight assists and six steals.
She has run cross country for conditioning, played some volleyball and been the No. 1 singles player in tennis when needed. Tennis conflicts with track, so she has just played in the bigger matches.
In the classroom she carries a 3.4 GPA, with English being her favorite subject. Some day she would like to be a corporate lawyer.
Coach Jackson thinks it's a forgone conclusion that she will attend the University of Florida, because her father and mother (Robbie, a probation officer) both are Florida graduates. Reynolds conceded, "Being in a Gator household, I have become very fond of the Gators. I have my eye on Florida. But they (her parents) are going to be behind me whatever I do 100 percent."
She then mentioned checking out LSU, UCLA and the University of Texas. She likes Texas because one of her idols, Olympian Sanya Richards, starred there.
Another idol is her older brother, Bershawn Jackson, who placed third in the 400 hurdles during the 2008 Olympics and now runs in the professional ranks.
Though she hopes to make the USA World Team again this summer, her immediate goal is to collect four more gold medals at the state meet and become the all-time leader. Her father said, "Her knees are bothering her a little bit. A lot of people are trying to have me cut some of her events out. Why? She's been doing this (four events) all of her life. She even wants to try the triple jump and high jump. She's got that strength from running the 1,500 as a child."
Coach Jackson sees Reynolds repeating the feats of her freshman year.
He predicted, "She can put that record at an untouchable point (by the time she graduates), because it will be a long time before anyone like her – boy or girl – comes through the state of Florida. She has the heart of a lion."
Reynolds has similar thoughts.
"I'm shooting for any record that's breakable and in my reach."
