'I run in honor of him': West High's Aidan Jacobsen dedicates track career to late grandfather
Aidan Jacobsen steps off the Drake Stadium track; winded as sweat trickles down his face.
It’s a hot Friday in April 2023 and Jacobsen just ran the third leg of Iowa City West's distance medley at the Drake Relays — one of the most competitive track and field events in the country.
Jacobsen sports the typical Iowa City West track fit: green shirt and black shorts with “West” in gold print draped across his chest. He adds his own touch: wearing a necklace with a silver-plated wedding ring that dangles down his neckline.
The necklace is a tribute to his grandfather, Dean Jacobsen, who died in 2001, six years before Aidan Jacobsen was born.
“I know it means a lot to my dad too that I wear it and a lot to my grandma as well that I cherish his memory, and I run in honor of him," Aidan Jacobsen said.
Aidan Jacobsen helped power the Trojans to a Drake Relays title in the distance medley last spring. After sharing a victory with his teammates inside historic Drake Stadium, Aidan Jacobsen found his dad, Ryan Jacobsen, and the two shared an emotional embrace.
It was a moment reminiscent of Ryan Jacobsen's own track memories with his late father, Dean.
“Those are the moments where you get pretty emotional and just pretty thankful that I have an opportunity to witness that and be a part of that because it’s pretty special,” Ryan Jacobsen said. “It just makes me so incredibly proud that he honors his grandpa’s memory in that way and carries a piece of him with him.”
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A family connection forged through track and field
Aidan Jacobsen never met his grandfather, but the ring symbolizes a bond forged through memories and traits passed on by his dad.
“I’ve always made it important to emphasize the qualities that my dad had, and how proud he would be of Aidan,” Ryan Jacobsen. “The importance of being a good competitor, good sportsmanship, always trying your best, being willing to train and put in the effort.”
Aidan Jacobsen has put in the work, a proven formula of success. Along with his first-place finish in the distance medley at Drake, the third-generation track star is also a state champion in the shuttle hurdle and 4x200 relays.
But his earliest track memory wasn’t under the bright lights facing elite competition and unpredictable weather conditions. Instead, it was sitting at home, eyes glued to the television screen, watching professional runners compete on the global stage.
He listened intently as Ryan Jacobsen shared stories of his track career.
“It had always been part of our family,” Aidan Jacobsen recalled. “(My dad) had talked about him running, we always watched the Olympics and stuff on TV, so it was something that I knew I always wanted to try.”
Aidan Jacobsen started running in elementary school, participating in races with dozens of other kids. In fourth grade, competed in the long jump, 100 meters, and 200 meters at a Junior Olympic event in Ames.
As an Iowa City West freshman, Aidan Jacobsen gained valuable experience at the varsity level. His sophomore year was when his interest blossomed into a passion.
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Hard work and a mentor breed success
Aidan Jacobsen took a more detailed approach to improve his craft, working closely with his teammates and coaches at West High.
He also connected with Austin West, a University of Iowa decathlete and former Iowa City West track state champion.
“He would just reach out [and] it would be like a practice video....He lives and eats and sleeps track, it seems like, which is really nice for someone that's as talented as he is," West said. "There’s always something that he wants to work on. He’s very driven and he’s not satisfied with anything unless it’s his best.”
Aidan Jacobsen started competing in the 400-meter hurdles, a race that demands a combination of speed, strength, and endurance. He remembers the initial challenges of learning a new event.
“The first couple of times I ran it, I did not run very good times at all,” Aidan Jacobsen admitted. “I just had to keep doing reps in practice and get it down.”
With a few tips from West − a former state champion hurdler − Aidan Jacobsen improved and helped his teammates flourish.
“(Aidan) always preached the importance of working hard; doing it for yourself but also doing it for others,” said Iowa City West teammate Quinn Abbott. “He not only wants himself to succeed but everyone else around him and he always pushes for that.”
Victories start to pile up
Aidan Jacobsen’s work ethic proved to be a game-changer. He broke out at the 2022 Hollingsworth Relays at Iowa City West, running a 55.84 in the 400-meter hurdles.
The first-place performance solidified Aidan Jacobsen as a contender, a cherished memory he shares with his father, Ryan.
“He was coming around; he was going so fast, and I literally sprinted down to the track and just ran up to him after the race and (we) just gave each other a big hug," Ryan Jacobsen said. “That was sort of that breakthrough moment, and probably that really big moment between him and I just to connect as a father and a son."
Jacobsen later earned a spot at the 2022 Drake Relays, placing sixth in the 36-inch 400-meter hurdles with a time of 55.12. He came in third at the 2022 Iowa High School boys' state track and field meet with a time of 53.82 and was a vital piece of Iowa City West's second-place distance medley team.
Jacobsen carried that momentum over to his junior season when he started wearing his grandfather's wedding ring on and off the track.
"(My dad) gave it to me last year. I started wearing it during all my races. I just don't wear it when I race, I wear it all the time," Jacobsen said. "I just wanted to honor him and wear it, and my dad told me how much it means to him and then how much it also means to my grandma so that’s why I always wanted to have it on.”
With increased experience, confidence, and his grandfather's wedding ring, Jacobsen continued to make waves. His hard work complimented his achievements, which was perhaps most evident at the 2023 Drake Relays.
Jacobsen finished third in the 400-meter hurdles with a personal best of 52.83.
He helped Iowa City West place second in the 4x200 relays and finished in the top 10 in the long jump.
But the Trojans' gold performance in the distance medley stood out.
"It's definitely the hardest meet to win, and as a team, that was something that had been our goal, was to go out there and win that relay," Aidan Jacobsen said. "when we finally got it done, it was just so amazing."
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Aidan Jacobsen placed second in the 30-inch 400-meter hurdles three weeks later at the state meet, finishing with a time of 52.63. He also helped clinch state titles in the boys' shuttle hurdle and 4x200 relays.
Aidan Jacobsen's accomplishments are the direct result of hard work and effort, traits that Aidan Jacobsen's grandpa, Dean Jacobsen, once preached.
“Without a doubt my dad, if he was here, would be Aidan’s biggest fan,” Ryan Jacobsen said. “I know Aidan has a special bond with him even though he’s never met him."
One last hurrah
Aidan Jacobsen's stock continues to rise, and the fourth-year Trojan wants to make more memories in the final stages of his high school career.
He wants more championships, as well as school and state records, which certainly seem attainable.
"I have a lot of goals in terms of winning some state championships both as a team and individually and setting records also," Aidan Jacobsen said. “In the 400 hurdles, the all-time state record is 50.96 and that’s a time that I’ve thought about for a couple years now, and that’s really what I’m shooting for.”
Aidan Jacobsen, though he hasn't officially committed, plans on running for a Division I track and field program after high school.
Marc Ray covers high school sports for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Email him at maray@press-citizen.com or follow him on Twitter/X @themarcszn.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: West's Aidan Jacobsen and the ring that that honors his late grandfather
