Edmonds-Woodway High School Female Athlete of the Month: Moni Jackson
When one sees 18-year-old Samone (Moni) Jackson, they may be surprised to learn she has been a four-year varsity starting player in basketball — not to mention extremely successful. At just 5’3” tall, Moni said people often tried to steer her away from the sport she loves and to have her focus solely on softball — the other sport to which she has dedicated her high school years. “But my heart has always been in basketball, so I never let others make my choice for me and just kept playing as hard as I could,” said Moni.
During all four years of high school, Moni was chosen for all Wesco honors in both basketball and softball and also received defensive player of the year and MVP honors. Her talent caught the eye of the University of Puget Sound where she will play basketball at the collegiate level next year.
Being an athlete has taught Moni lessons she can apply throughout her life. “It taught me how to be responsible, punctual and dependable; much like a job would,” said Moni, who is interested in science and would like to study marine biology. “The other option is exercise science.”
As she moves on to the next phase in her life, Moni will bring with her many great memories of her teammates. “Each season they were family,” she said gratefully.
