Photo courtesy of Tessa Teter.
Jonas Harrison running in the 200 meter finals at the State Track Meet.
Q: Please tell our readers about yourself.
A: My name is Jonas Harrison. I am a rising senior at Homewood and going into my third track season. Before track, I played basketball my freshman year and baseball my freshman and sophomore years. In the offseason, I love to travel, visiting Italy, Portugal and Japan in the past three years for summer camp (Moondance).
Q: What extracurricular activities do you participate in at Homewood High and in the community?
A: I participate in the athletics listed above, serve as a Team Homewood ambassador/trainer, and was selected by the track team to attend leadership training. The training, led by Carol Chestnut, Keith Brown and Katie Smith, taught valuable leadership lessons that we can bring back to our teams under the motto, "Great teams have great teammates." Next year, we will each be assigned a group of freshmen to teach those lessons and serve as mentors to them academically, athletically and as friends.
Q: How did it feel to be part of the State Champion Track team? What events do you compete in?
A: To be a part of this team was something unlike anything else. Coming off a very successful season with two state championships and a very young team, we wanted to replicate exactly what we had previously done. After coming in second at the Indoor State Meet this season, we had one thing on all of our minds, and we worked every day to never feel the way we did holding a red map (runner-up trophy). To be a part of a team that bought in and left everything they had on the track every single day is very rare, and I think that's why we were so successful.
Instead of letting a loss kill our outdoor season, we used it as fuel and let it elevate us to the next level. We cared about each other, and if someone didn't have the energy to finish a workout, then we had five other guys to pull them along. We all wanted to see everyone succeed because we knew we couldn't win without them. Everything just came together for us. Scoring in 12 of 18 events, we had an incredibly well-rounded team.
Personally, I competed in the 200m and the 4x100 relay. For our relay, we had three returners from our school record-breaking relay the year prior, so we knew our ceiling was very high. We all peaked at the perfect time, breaking our own record in the state meet preliminaries to send us to the finals.
I was the first individual sprinter from Homewood to score at a state meet since 2011. After not making the finals the previous year, I trained every day with that one race on my mind. When the time came, I knew I needed to execute for our team to secure the title.
To be part of a team with arguably the best coaching staff in the state is such an honor. All I have to do is run. I know my training is elite, and I am put in the best position to succeed, which is very rare in high school track. I'm proud to wear Homewood on the front of my jersey because I'm running for something bigger than myself, and being part of such a great team has shaped me into the person I am today.
Q: What are your plans following graduation in 2027? Do you plan to run track? Are you intending to go to college?
A: I am currently uncommitted, but I have been recruited to run track in college. My top schools are the Air Force Academy, West Point and the Naval Academy.
Q: What would you like to major in and why?
A: I would like to major in aeronautical engineering with a minor in nuclear weapons and strategy because I would like to fly in the military and then work in the defense industry after graduation in an engineering field.
Q: Who is your role model? How have they influenced your journey thus far?
A: My role model is my head coach, Logan Cornutt, because of how he leads and how he serves as a mentor off the track. He cares more about us as people than state championships.
While I was still playing baseball during my first year of running track, he wrote training plans for me to complete on my own because I couldn't practice with the team. He also met with me almost every day during lunch just to talk about how I was doing. Having his support has meant the world to me.
My 4x100 teammates are also major role models in my life. Having the privilege to run with Davis Griffin and Tomon Felton (both graduates) for two years, score at state and break three school records together was truly an honor. They taught me how to overcome obstacles and how to lead someone with less experience than you.
When I came to my first practice as a sophomore, I immediately felt welcomed by them, and I think that's why we are so successful as a program. Everyone genuinely cares and wants the best for each other because the faster our teammates are, the faster the team becomes.
Running together this year continued to teach me how to battle through adversity, whether that meant getting a bad lane draw or dealing with an injury and knowing I needed to sit out so I could be healthy for state. We weren't just teammates — we were brothers who were there for each other no matter what, and I believe that set us apart.
Q: What advice would you give incoming freshmen or students new to HHS?
A: I would tell them to take risks and follow their hearts because there are so many different opportunities to explore at Homewood. If I hadn't taken the risk to quit baseball, I never would have found so much success in track, and I'm forever grateful to Coach Cornutt for developing me even though I joined the sport later than most.
Q: What are your goals for your senior year? Senior year will be a success if…?
A: My main goals for senior year are to win a 200m state championship, help our team win another state championship and maintain a 4.0+ GPA.
Senior year will be successful if we are all successful as a team, have fun and continue developing into great men and women. That matters more than winning anything.
Q: What do you hope your classmates most remember about you following graduation?
A: I hope my teammates remember how much fun I had while also giving everything I had every day. I hope they remember that I was welcoming to everyone, truly believed they could accomplish whatever they set their minds to and supported them every step of the way.
In track, half of your performance is your mindset. If you're too hard on yourself, you won't succeed. You have to find the balance between working hard and enjoying yourself because track is so much fun, and you're only with your teammates for a limited time. It's important to stay grounded and appreciate those moments.
Q: How do you feel about the team heading into this next season?
A: We graduated a large group of contributors last year, so a lot of people think we'll take a step back and won't be as competitive. I actually believe we'll take a step forward and compete for two more state championships because of the depth we have on our team.
Everyone from our young team last year now has another year of experience. When you combine that with our elite coaching staff, I believe we'll be unstoppable.
