Graduate student sprinter Jahleel Perrin is in his last year with the Panthers. Perrin started running track in fourth grade, and his father was his first official coach. 

Perrin, from Lincolnshire, went to high school at Lincolnshire High School, competing in track, football and basketball. 

When he committed to Eastern in the spring of 2020, Perrin had his eye on both football and track but ultimately decided to stick with track. 

Throughout his five years at Eastern, Perrin has been named to the All-Ohio Valley Conference First Team in the 4×100 relay as the third leg in the 2022 outdoor track season. Perrin was also named to the All-OVC Second Team in the 4×100 relay as the first leg in the 2023 outdoor track season. 

In this Q&A, Perrin talks about why he committed to Eastern, how he balances being a student and an athlete and what his secret talent is. 

Q: When did you first start running track? 

A: “I started running track around fourth grade. It was my first love.” 

Q: Were you always a sprinter? 

A: “Ya. Anything over 400 meters, my dad kind of strayed me away. He was my first coach, so I always sprinted all throughout the house when I was a kid or on the field and the playground. Wherever there was a big space, I always ran fast, so it was my first calling.” 

Q: Pancakes or waffles? 

A: “Waffles for sure.” 

Q: Do you put anything on your waffles? 

A: “Besides syrup, I do like whipped cream and fruit, mostly strawberries. Maybe some sprinkles too.” 

Q: Do you think the Earth is round or flat? 

A: “I’m going to have to say round.” 

Q: Who on the team would be your emergency contact? 

A: “Probably Daniel Lacy or Qwinsuan Anderson.” 

Q: If you had a walkout song, what would it be? 

A: “For right now, I’d say ‘1942′ Flows by Meek Mill.” 

Q: What’s your favorite season? 

A: “Summer. I was born in the summer, and you can always go outside and do something whether it’s related to track or hit the city with my friends. You can travel a lot more. There’s a lot more things to do in the summer.” 

Q: If you weren’t in track, what sport would you play? 

A: “Football. I came here interested in both football and track. I was a little bit more interested in football but ended up doing track.” 

Q: Did you play any other sports besides track? 

A: “Back in high school, I did track, football and basketball.” 

Q: Apple juice or orange juice? 

A: “I’ll consistently drink orange juice, but I love me some apple juice every once in a while, so I’ll say apple juice. That’s a good childhood drink right there, on a hot summer day. Ya, apple juice.” 

Q: If you could have anything, what would be your postgame meal? 

A: “It’d be Chick-fil-A. Probably two Chick-fil-A sandwiches, a large fry, and then the Oreo milkshake and four Chick-fil-A sauces. Maybe the spicy Deluxe every once in a while.” 

Q: If you had the power to bring one celebrity to this campus, who would it be? 

A: “LeBron James.” 

Q: How do you balance being a student and an athlete? 

A: “I actually have a notebook that I write in, so I just write down everything when it comes to assignments. Of course, when it comes to track, we have a schedule that’s set, so if we have practice at 2 or something like that, I make sure I finish my homework an hour or two before. Making sure whatever free time I have, that’s the time I’m doing my homework or anything related to classes.”  

Q: Who on the team are you giving the aux to? 

A: “Taji [Mathis-Akinremi]. For sure.” 

Q: Who’s your favorite musical artist right now? 

A: “I’m into R&B, so H.E.R. or Bryson Tiller.” 

Q: Do you have any secret of hidden talents? 

A: “I can do a backflip. I’ve always thought about doing one after winning a race, but I’m never confident enough to do it after a race.” 

Q: Why did you choose to commit to Eastern? 

A: “When it was fall 2019, I came here and spoke to the head coach that was here at the time. We had a really great conversation on track and academics and other things outside of that. Him and I really connected, and I’m drawn to people who are extremely competitive and want to be great, and that’s where him and I really connected on. I got to meet the team, and I bonded with my teammates on that as well, and I committed in spring 2020, and I’ve never regretted that decision.”  

Q: Who’s the funniest person on the team? 

A: “I’m going to have to give that to Taji again. Taji is definitely the funniest guy on the team.” 

Q: Who are your biggest supporters? 

A: “My mom and my dad. Those are my two biggest supporters for sure. They got me where I am right now. The early mornings, late nights, money spent driving across the country, flying everywhere just to help me achieve and reach my dreams.” 

Q: Why are you majoring in sports administration? 

A: “I definitely want to stay involved in track or sports in general post college. I was really interested in becoming a sports agent at a time. Now, I either want to get into coaching or being an athletic director.” 

Q: How do you feel like the season is going so far? 

A: “Going off of how indoor went and then the first [outdoor] meet, individually I’d say this is definitely one of my best seasons so far, for sure. Continuing to drop a p[ersonal] r[ecord] week after week, and as a team as well, I’d say this is a rebuilding season. We have definitely shown a lot of potential, and I definitely believe our team is heading in the right direction of getting Freshman of the Year two years in a row now.” 

Q: What has been your favorite memory with the team thus far? 

A: “My favorite memory was winning conference two years ago for the 2023 indoor season. We definitely had a lot on our shoulders. We felt a lot of pressure, and a lot of things did occur outside of track that could’ve distracted us, but we came together that season, swept the podium in multiple events and ended up with the dub.” 

Q: Knowing everything you know now, what would you tell 10-year-old you? 

A: “You really can achieve your dreams and goals. All you have to do is be intentional with all your actions and believe in yourself.” 

Zaria Flippin can be reached at 581-2812 or at zhflippin@eiu.edu.