NATCHEZ — It took a few attempts, but former Natchez High and current Southern Miss track star Ke’Airra Jones finally broke through at this spring’s NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

Jones finished fourth in the women’s high jump, and that result was good enough to garner her first team All-American honors.

“(Making All-American) felt great,” Jones said. “I had been coming up short the last three appearances at Nationals, so to finally make first team was great.”

Jones said much of her success stemmed from finally feeling like she belonged with the top performers.

“I think I was more comfortable, and felt I deserved to be there. I was among the greats, but I was also great myself,” she said.

Jones said that feeling of acceptance was evident in the way her opponents’ coaches talked about her.

“I finally fully realized what I’m capable of doing,” she said. “I talked to a lot of coaches and athletes, and the (coaches) were telling the (athletes) to watch me, and the way I jump and how I competed. Some of them were beating me, but the coaches still felt like I was a threat.

“That was a great feeling, to sit among the best and feel accepted. It’s easy to compete when you aren’t trying to prove yourself.”

Jones said the honor of All-American is great but she is still striving for more.

“Overall it’s kind of bitter sweet. I’m happy I became an All-American, but at the same time you always want to win. The competitive side of me always wants to be the best,” she said.

Jones’ best jump cleared 6’0’’ in the National meet, and she hopes to better that in her final season next year.

“I’m looking to get 6’2’’ or 6’3’’,” she said.

Jones also hopes to eventually qualify to be a member of U.S. National Track team.

Jones’ track roots go all the way back to her early years at Natchez High, when she had dreams of being a basketball player, Bulldogs’ track coach Larry Wesley said.

“I’ll never forget when I first met her and she wanted to play basketball,” Wesley said. “I always told (my athletes) to have a plan A and a plan B. She came out and she was so short, I told her, ‘you can’t be a basketball player, let me see (if you can) jump over that (high-jump) bar,’ and that’s why she started jumping.”

Jones would later set the state record for girls’ high jump at 5’10’’. She still holds the record.

“I had a great four years (at Natchez),” Jones said. “I think in those four years I wanted the high jump record in Mississippi, and I wanted to win. Every year I got closer and closer and my senior year I (broke) it.”

Wesley said he is proud of his former star’s accomplishments.

“Anytime you finish (that high) on that type of stage against that type of competition (it’s impressive),” he said. “I feel proud to have coached her, and proud of the things she has accomplished. I’m glad she could represent Natchez High School, the city of Natchez and Mississippi.”

Jones said it was also an honor to be able to help the Southern Miss women’s team finish a school-best 10th nationally at the meet.

“It was a great feeling to be a part of something that was bigger than me, and get those points for my team,” she said.

Jones also received All-American honorable mention honors as a member of the Golden Eagles’ 100-meter relay team.

Jones said she still has work to do this summer to prepare for next season, and she wants to work on some technical aspects of her jumping and get stronger.

“I want to fix some things I kind of lacked this year,” she said.

Jones said she credits her coaches, like Wesley, and her family with much of her success. She is the daughter of Regina Jones and granddaughter of Annie Jackson.

“Coach Wesley was a great coach, I liked his coaching style,” she said. “He never let me slack. (He) saw talent in me and never let me slack, (even though) he gave me a hard time about everything. Between (my coaches) and my family supporting me, it was a good win for all of us.”