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Texas A&M track and field recruits nationally and globally.
When you've had the kind of success Pat Henry has had at this school, those doors are wide open.
And the Aggies are glad they hit up the Eastern seaboard to find Jazmine Fray.
Fray, a middle-distance runner from Long Island, is not short on talent.
"I love Long Island," Fray says. "I grew up there all my life. I went to private Catholic school. My family is from Jamaica, so they really believe in uniforms and the Catholic education and learning your religion in school and stuff like that."
In her youth, Jazmine tried it all.
"We switched sports by season," she recalls. "We did soccer, basketball, lacrosse…and I didn't really like any of them. I did them because they were fun, but I don't think I was particularly good at any of them either."
As Fray played all different sports, one thing always stood out to her—"the running part" as she says. It was the only part of the sport with which she felt she was good.
It was then that her mother, Ingrid, stepped in.
"My mom said, 'You know…let's just put you in track'."
The rest is history.
She began with church youth group track, which was fun, but she quickly realized she wanted to take it to the next level. She entered the Colgate Women's Games, the country's largest amateur track series and an event that's open to all girls from elementary school to college and beyond.
"The end result was whoever made finals got to run at Madison Square Garden. That was a very elite thing. I did that my first serious year, around seventh grade, (and) I didn't do well. So I came back the next year, in eighth grade, and I was able to make it (to MSG).
"I think that's where it all started."
By high school, it was clear she was good enough to run at the next level.
But could she run with the elite at Texas A&M?
She started getting recruiting calls from colleges on July 1, the first day on which it was permitted for coaches to make contact. Jazmine wasn't at home waiting by the phone, however.
She was at the beach.
"My mom called me and wanted me to come home, because she wanted me to call colleges back. It was intimidating because they were big schools, and I said to myself, 'I don't know if I can go there'."
About two months later, Texas A&M made that call.
"My mom called me and said, 'Jazmine, Texas A&M just called you. I think you should do an official visit'. And I said 'No, I don't want to do a visit there, because I can't run there. I'm not good enough."
In her mind, Fray saw standouts like Kamaria Brown, Deon Lendore, Bralon Taplin, Shamier Little…Olympians, NCAA champions, you name it. All wearing the maroon and white.
"They're all running there, breaking records and winning NCAAs. And I said, 'I can't do that'.
"My mom made me go for a visit. She forced me to."
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Fray took the visit to Aggieland—it was the second of her allowed official visits as a prospect. It was also the first time she had flown by herself, and the first time she'd ever stepped foot in the state of Texas.
"I got off the plane, I met my coach, Coach (Alleyne) Francique…I loved him. I just loved the school. I loved Coach (Pat) Henry, Coach (Vince) Anderson, Coach (Wendel) McRaven, all the volunteer coaches, I loved the facilities...I think everything just fell together, and I just loved the school, everything about it.
"And I didn't take a visit anywhere else."
Already this indoor season Fray has broken the school record in the mile and the 800-meter run, and has pushed the Aggie standard at other distances.
But for her, the challenge is never ending.
"I always try to say to myself, just because I broke a record, I don't want it to mean that I'm just satisfied with it. Coach Francique has definitely brought that out of me. I'm never really satisfied with my race. Even when you do break a record or someone breaks an NCAA collegiate record, there is still something they could have done better."
On the track? That's true.
But when it comes to choosing a university? Fray couldn't have done any better.
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