Did you know that Jackie Joyner-Kersee's college scholarship to UCLA was for a sport other than track and field? A native of East St. Louis, Illinois, Joyner-Kersee dominated in two events, the heptathlon and long jump, for more than a decade. The seven events in the heptathlon are the 100-meter hurdles, long jump, high jump, 200 meters, shot put, javelin throw and 800 meters. Joyner-Kersee also competed in the long jump as a standalone event. The Jackie Joyner-Kersee Award is given annually to the U.S. track and field female athlete of the year.
