During his senior track and field season at SUNY Cortland in 2017, Jack Flood '18 won NCAA Division III titles in both the heptathlon indoors and the decathlon outdoors. He set school and State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) records in both events, scoring 5,247 points to win the heptathlon crown and scoring 7,021 points in the decathlon during the season (he tallied 6,998 points at nationals).
 
Four years later, Flood has improved his personal-best score in the 10-event decathlon by more than 1,000 points. His 8,038 points in a meet last month currently ranks him fifth nationally and 25th in the world.
 
The daunting challenge that Flood now faces is finding a way to increase his decathlon score by about another 300 points. He's competing this Saturday and Sunday, June 19-20, at the USA Track & Field Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Ore., and he can earn a trip to the Tokyo Summer Olympics with the combination of a top-three finish and a score of at least 8,350 points.
 
The Blue Point, N.Y., native and current Morrisville, N.C., resident realized shortly after completing his collegiate career at Cortland that reaching this level of achievement was a possibility. "After I won the Division III outdoor championship in the decathlon, I knew there was more in the tank," Flood recalled after recently arriving in Oregon this week. "I knew what I wanted, and that was to compete at the best competitions held in the USA. When you know what you want, it makes it a lot easier to understand the action required to make it happen."
 
Reaching a qualifying point total and placement is just the latest challenge Flood is facing on the road to becoming one of the elite athletes in the world. He's also had to face both logistical and financial obstacles during his quest.
 
"Training during the pandemic wasn't that bad for me down in North Carolina," Flood noted. "The gym I train at has been open since August when I began training and it went very smoothly. But when I was originally training for the 2020 Olympics and they were postponed, the gym had to close down, and the biggest challenge was what to do in between that time.
 
"It's been a challenge to train full-time without a sponsorship, but I have gotten a lot of support so far on my GoFundMe to help cover the costs of attending the Olympic Trials."
 
Floor acknowledges he's a come a long way in a short time since starring at Cortland, but also is grateful for his experience as a Red Dragon.
 
"I have improved significantly in everything since my time at Cortland," Flood said. "Hard work over a long period of time creates substantial gains. My experience at Cortland was phenomenal and helped me get to the point where I am now. The number one thing that Cortland provided me was the opportunity to create a routine that would maximize my potential. You are exactly what you do on a daily basis, and I had all the resources to be the best I could be. If you don't see success while at Cortland, it's your fault."
 
"Jack was one of the most focused and dedicated athletes to have come through Cortland," said Red Dragon head coach Steve Patrick '97. "To see him continue to improve upon his performances has been fantastic! It's hard to properly appreciate the physical effort it takes to continue to progress the way he has in the sport, but that is only part of the story. The mental effort, dedication, and commitment that Jack has had to continue on his quest is tremendous, and reflects on his greatest talent: his force of will."
 
USA Track & Field Olympic Trials Web Page
 
NBC/NBC Sports Network Television Coverage Schedule