BELGRADE, Serbia – Former Northwestern State sprinter Natashia Jackson helped the American 4×400 relay reach the finals at the World Athletics Indoor Championships on Sunday.

In the preliminary heat early Sunday, Jackson ran the third leg of a relay that won its heat at 3:28.82.

Jackson did not run in the finals later Sunday, and Team USA just missed the podium with a fourth-place finish at 3:28.63.

The Americans finished just 0.23 behind winner Jamaica and .04 behind Poland, a relay squad the USA beat in the preliminaries.

Jackson qualified for the relay pool by finishing fifth overall in the 400 meters at the USA Indoor Championships in late February. She clocked a 54.40 in the finals.

She is the fourth known NSU competitor on the international indoor stage and NSU’s first sprinter. Jackson joined jumpers LaMark Carter, Kenta Bell and Brian Brown.

PHOTO: Mike Wade Photography

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