Norristown’s Jaden Brown commits to Houston

Norristown’s Jaden Brown started hearing from colleges after he won the 100 meter state championship as a junior last spring with a personal best time of 10.65 seconds.

When it came time to decide where he would be continuing his academic and athletic careers, Brown remembered what happened when he didn’t run his best a couple of months ago.

Surrounded by family, coaches and administrators Thursday morning at Norristown Area High School, Brown signed with the University of Houston.

“I had a bad race that was actually down in Houston during a visit,” he said. “After that bad race, a lot of the colleges looked at me differently. They didn’t believe in me, I guess. Houston – they believed in me. They were still there. Sometimes people have bad races. I chose Houston because they believed in me when I didn’t even believe in myself.”

Brown, who mentioned the University of Southern California and North Carolina A&T as schools he considered, made his varsity track debut as a junior after his sophomore season was lost to the pandemic and he quickly rose to the top. He won the District 1-3A and PIAA-3A 100 meter dashes with times of 10.71 and 10.65, respectively.

The 6-foot-3 sprinter continued his success this winter. Last weekend he won gold in the Pa. Track and Field Coaches Association’s Indoor State Championship at Penn State University in the 60 meter and 200 meter events. He set meet records with a 6.72 finish in the 60 meter semifinals – before winning the final in 6.74 – and a 21.36-second performance in the 200.

“The process with track,” he said, “I felt like I always had to catch up because every person I’ve met, they’ve been doing this longer than me and I just started my sophomore year. Then COVID came and there were some doubts, but I’ve overcome them as the years progressed. During last week at states, it’s when I truly found myself. I accomplished so much. I was very proud of myself.

“The 200 was my least confident event. When I competed in it on Sunday, when I was done I screamed. I looked at my time and I was happy with myself. I’ve never screamed after a race. I was really happy and excited.”

Brown closes out the winter season next week at New Balance Nationals Indoor in New York. He will be competing in the 4×2 and 60 meter dash.

In the spring, he wants to close out his career by setting personal bests in the 100 and 200.

“For the 200 I’m trying to run 20 point something,” Brown said. “For the 100 meter dash, maybe 10.2.”