Senior Jamar Marshall Jr. competes in the 110-meter hurdles on May 30 in College Station, Texas. | Juan DeLeon/UH Athletics

COLLEGE STATION, Texas —Senior Jamar Marshall Jr. stood just off the track, hand to his ear like a phone, after punching his ticket to his second NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

“Eugene is calling,” he said. “He told me to be ready.” 

After clocking the third fastest time of the day at 13.19 in the 110-meter hurdles at the NCAA West Regionals, Marshall is headed to Eugene, Ore. It wasn’t just a celebration — it was survival.

Diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a rare heart condition that causes dangerously fast heartbeats, Marshall’s track future was uncertain. While still an athlete at Arizona State, an EKG revealed the condition, but it wasn’t until he transferred to Houston that he learned how serious it truly was.

One moment, he was competing on the national stage. Next, he was facing life-altering news, unsure if he would ever run again. 

In January 2024, he underwent heart surgery to burn off the extra electrical pathway causing the condition.

Nearly two years after his last race, he returned to the track for his first race as a Cougar, fittingly, at home during the Cameron Burrell Alumni Invitational.

For a moment, it seemed like he was finally back over the hurdles, placing no lower than fourth in any race until the NCAA West First Round. There, Marshall slipped to a 20.04 last-place finish, ending his season. 

The Stockton, Calif., native thought he was past his prime. After all, it was his 21-year-old freshman self who finished fifth at the National Championships just a year after being one of the nation’s best high school hurdlers. 

He began to wonder if this comeback wasn’t about glory. Maybe it was just about proving he could return to the track at all.

Then came the voice of Olympic legend and coach Carl Lewis, offering hope.

 “Carl always told me, ‘If you trust yourself and believe in the process, we are going to get you to another National Championship,’” Marshall said. “That moment came two years later.”

Just two weeks before the regional, Marshall won his first conference title since surgery. He broke a 14-year-old Big 12 record by 0.10 seconds as he recorded a personal best time of 13.13.

In the preliminary round at the regional, the hurdler came in second in his heat with a time of 13.52, enough to push him to the semifinals. 

Two days later, he won his heat in 13.19 seconds, finishing behind only Texas’ Kendrick Smallwood and Texas A&M’s Ja’Qualon Scott in the region, securing the fourth-fastest regional time nationally.

“The fact that he had the resilience to stay at it and keep his confidence is just tremendous,” Lewis said. “I think he has just as good a chance as anyone to win it all.”

Marshall walked off the track to accept his second career call from Eugene and was shouting long after his heat ended. This time he answered with even more pride.

“I got revived,” Marshall said.

sports@thedailycougar.com

—
“Heart-racing revival: Houston’s Jamar Marshall returns to national stage after heart condition diagnosis” was originally posted on The Cougar

Senior Jamar Marshall Jr. competes in the 110-meter hurdles on May 30 in College Station, Texas. | Juan DeLeon/UH Athletics

COLLEGE STATION, Texas —Senior Jamar Marshall Jr. stood just off the track, hand to his ear like a phone, after punching his ticket to his second NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

“Eugene is calling,” he said. “He told me to be ready.” 

After clocking the third fastest time of the day at 13.19 in the 110-meter hurdles at the NCAA West Regionals, Marshall is headed to Eugene, Ore. It wasn’t just a celebration — it was survival.

Diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a rare heart condition that causes dangerously fast heartbeats, Marshall’s track future was uncertain. While still an athlete at Arizona State, an EKG revealed the condition, but it wasn’t until he transferred to Houston that he learned how serious it truly was.

One moment, he was competing on the national stage. Next, he was facing life-altering news, unsure if he would ever run again. 

In January 2024, he underwent heart surgery to burn off the extra electrical pathway causing the condition.

Nearly two years after his last race, he returned to the track for his first race as a Cougar, fittingly, at home during the Cameron Burrell Alumni Invitational.

For a moment, it seemed like he was finally back over the hurdles, placing no lower than fourth in any race until the NCAA West First Round. There, Marshall slipped to a 20.04 last-place finish, ending his season. 

The Stockton, Calif., native thought he was past his prime. After all, it was his 21-year-old freshman self who finished fifth at the National Championships just a year after being one of the nation’s best high school hurdlers. 

He began to wonder if this comeback wasn’t about glory. Maybe it was just about proving he could return to the track at all.

Then came the voice of Olympic legend and coach Carl Lewis, offering hope.

 “Carl always told me, ‘If you trust yourself and believe in the process, we are going to get you to another National Championship,’” Marshall said. “That moment came two years later.”

Just two weeks before the regional, Marshall won his first conference title since surgery. He broke a 14-year-old Big 12 record by 0.10 seconds as he recorded a personal best time of 13.13.

In the preliminary round at the regional, the hurdler came in second in his heat with a time of 13.52, enough to push him to the semifinals. 

Two days later, he won his heat in 13.19 seconds, finishing behind only Texas’ Kendrick Smallwood and Texas A&M’s Ja’Qualon Scott in the region, securing the fourth-fastest regional time nationally.

“The fact that he had the resilience to stay at it and keep his confidence is just tremendous,” Lewis said. “I think he has just as good a chance as anyone to win it all.”

Marshall walked off the track to accept his second career call from Eugene and was shouting long after his heat ended. This time he answered with even more pride.

“I got revived,” Marshall said.

sports@thedailycougar.com

—
“Heart-racing revival: Houston’s Jamar Marshall returns to national stage after heart condition diagnosis” was originally posted on The Cougar

Senior Jamar Marshall Jr. competes in the 110-meter hurdles on May 30 in College Station, Texas. | Juan DeLeon/UH Athletics

COLLEGE STATION, Texas —Senior Jamar Marshall Jr. stood just off the track, hand to his ear like a phone, after punching his ticket to his second NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

“Eugene is calling,” he said. “He told me to be ready.” 

After clocking the third fastest time of the day at 13.19 in the 110-meter hurdles at the NCAA West Regionals, Marshall is headed to Eugene, Ore. It wasn’t just a celebration — it was survival.

Diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a rare heart condition that causes dangerously fast heartbeats, Marshall’s track future was uncertain. While still an athlete at Arizona State, an EKG revealed the condition, but it wasn’t until he transferred to Houston that he learned how serious it truly was.

One moment, he was competing on the national stage. Next, he was facing life-altering news, unsure if he would ever run again. 

In January 2024, he underwent heart surgery to burn off the extra electrical pathway causing the condition.

Nearly two years after his last race, he returned to the track for his first race as a Cougar, fittingly, at home during the Cameron Burrell Alumni Invitational.

For a moment, it seemed like he was finally back over the hurdles, placing no lower than fourth in any race until the NCAA West First Round. There, Marshall slipped to a 20.04 last-place finish, ending his season. 

The Stockton, Calif., native thought he was past his prime. After all, it was his 21-year-old freshman self who finished fifth at the National Championships just a year after being one of the nation’s best high school hurdlers. 

He began to wonder if this comeback wasn’t about glory. Maybe it was just about proving he could return to the track at all.

Then came the voice of Olympic legend and coach Carl Lewis, offering hope.

 “Carl always told me, ‘If you trust yourself and believe in the process, we are going to get you to another National Championship,’” Marshall said. “That moment came two years later.”

Just two weeks before the regional, Marshall won his first conference title since surgery. He broke a 14-year-old Big 12 record by 0.10 seconds as he recorded a personal best time of 13.13.

In the preliminary round at the regional, the hurdler came in second in his heat with a time of 13.52, enough to push him to the semifinals. 

Two days later, he won his heat in 13.19 seconds, finishing behind only Texas’ Kendrick Smallwood and Texas A&M’s Ja’Qualon Scott in the region, securing the fourth-fastest regional time nationally.

“The fact that he had the resilience to stay at it and keep his confidence is just tremendous,” Lewis said. “I think he has just as good a chance as anyone to win it all.”

Marshall walked off the track to accept his second career call from Eugene and was shouting long after his heat ended. This time he answered with even more pride.

“I got revived,” Marshall said.

sports@thedailycougar.com

—
“Heart-racing revival: Houston’s Jamar Marshall returns to national stage after heart condition diagnosis” was originally posted on The Cougar

Senior Jamar Marshall Jr. competes in the 110-meter hurdles on May 30 in College Station, Texas. | Juan DeLeon/UH Athletics

COLLEGE STATION, Texas —Senior Jamar Marshall Jr. stood just off the track, hand to his ear like a phone, after punching his ticket to his second NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

“Eugene is calling,” he said. “He told me to be ready.” 

After clocking the third fastest time of the day at 13.19 in the 110-meter hurdles at the NCAA West Regionals, Marshall is headed to Eugene, Ore. It wasn’t just a celebration — it was survival.

Diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a rare heart condition that causes dangerously fast heartbeats, Marshall’s track future was uncertain. While still an athlete at Arizona State, an EKG revealed the condition, but it wasn’t until he transferred to Houston that he learned how serious it truly was.

One moment, he was competing on the national stage. Next, he was facing life-altering news, unsure if he would ever run again. 

In January 2024, he underwent heart surgery to burn off the extra electrical pathway causing the condition.

Nearly two years after his last race, he returned to the track for his first race as a Cougar, fittingly, at home during the Cameron Burrell Alumni Invitational.

For a moment, it seemed like he was finally back over the hurdles, placing no lower than fourth in any race until the NCAA West First Round. There, Marshall slipped to a 20.04 last-place finish, ending his season. 

The Stockton, Calif., native thought he was past his prime. After all, it was his 21-year-old freshman self who finished fifth at the National Championships just a year after being one of the nation’s best high school hurdlers. 

He began to wonder if this comeback wasn’t about glory. Maybe it was just about proving he could return to the track at all.

Then came the voice of Olympic legend and coach Carl Lewis, offering hope.

 “Carl always told me, ‘If you trust yourself and believe in the process, we are going to get you to another National Championship,’” Marshall said. “That moment came two years later.”

Just two weeks before the regional, Marshall won his first conference title since surgery. He broke a 14-year-old Big 12 record by 0.10 seconds as he recorded a personal best time of 13.13.

In the preliminary round at the regional, the hurdler came in second in his heat with a time of 13.52, enough to push him to the semifinals. 

Two days later, he won his heat in 13.19 seconds, finishing behind only Texas’ Kendrick Smallwood and Texas A&M’s Ja’Qualon Scott in the region, securing the fourth-fastest regional time nationally.

“The fact that he had the resilience to stay at it and keep his confidence is just tremendous,” Lewis said. “I think he has just as good a chance as anyone to win it all.”

Marshall walked off the track to accept his second career call from Eugene and was shouting long after his heat ended. This time he answered with even more pride.

“I got revived,” Marshall said.

sports@thedailycougar.com

—
“Heart-racing revival: Houston’s Jamar Marshall returns to national stage after heart condition diagnosis” was originally posted on The Cougar

Senior Jamar Marshall Jr. competes in the 110-meter hurdles on May 30 in College Station, Texas. | Juan DeLeon/UH Athletics

COLLEGE STATION, Texas —Senior Jamar Marshall Jr. stood just off the track, hand to his ear like a phone, after punching his ticket to his second NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

“Eugene is calling,” he said. “He told me to be ready.” 

After clocking the third fastest time of the day at 13.19 in the 110-meter hurdles at the NCAA West Regionals, Marshall is headed to Eugene, Ore. It wasn’t just a celebration — it was survival.

Diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a rare heart condition that causes dangerously fast heartbeats, Marshall’s track future was uncertain. While still an athlete at Arizona State, an EKG revealed the condition, but it wasn’t until he transferred to Houston that he learned how serious it truly was.

One moment, he was competing on the national stage. Next, he was facing life-altering news, unsure if he would ever run again. 

In January 2024, he underwent heart surgery to burn off the extra electrical pathway causing the condition.

Nearly two years after his last race, he returned to the track for his first race as a Cougar, fittingly, at home during the Cameron Burrell Alumni Invitational.

For a moment, it seemed like he was finally back over the hurdles, placing no lower than fourth in any race until the NCAA West First Round. There, Marshall slipped to a 20.04 last-place finish, ending his season. 

The Stockton, Calif., native thought he was past his prime. After all, it was his 21-year-old freshman self who finished fifth at the National Championships just a year after being one of the nation’s best high school hurdlers. 

He began to wonder if this comeback wasn’t about glory. Maybe it was just about proving he could return to the track at all.

Then came the voice of Olympic legend and coach Carl Lewis, offering hope.

 “Carl always told me, ‘If you trust yourself and believe in the process, we are going to get you to another National Championship,’” Marshall said. “That moment came two years later.”

Just two weeks before the regional, Marshall won his first conference title since surgery. He broke a 14-year-old Big 12 record by 0.10 seconds as he recorded a personal best time of 13.13.

In the preliminary round at the regional, the hurdler came in second in his heat with a time of 13.52, enough to push him to the semifinals. 

Two days later, he won his heat in 13.19 seconds, finishing behind only Texas’ Kendrick Smallwood and Texas A&M’s Ja’Qualon Scott in the region, securing the fourth-fastest regional time nationally.

“The fact that he had the resilience to stay at it and keep his confidence is just tremendous,” Lewis said. “I think he has just as good a chance as anyone to win it all.”

Marshall walked off the track to accept his second career call from Eugene and was shouting long after his heat ended. This time he answered with even more pride.

“I got revived,” Marshall said.

sports@thedailycougar.com

—
“Heart-racing revival: Houston’s Jamar Marshall returns to national stage after heart condition diagnosis” was originally posted on The Cougar

For freshmen, that means adjusting quickly to the unforgiving expectations that come with wearing a Cougars jersey and being part of one of the nation’s top recruiting classes.

But talk about rankings ended the moment they arrived in Houston. 

“I mean, we’re all talented kids, but the number you were ranked in high school doesn’t matter at all anymore. We’re not even a recruiting class anymore. We’re a part of the team,” Flemings said. “That number has kind of gone out the window as we continue trying to get better and be as good as we can be on the team.”

Under coach Kelvin Sampson, there are no shortcuts.

No Cougar is exempt from the grind, whether it’s full-body VersaClimber sessions, sprints on the baseball field or early morning workouts during Houston’s two grueling four-week summer sessions.

The weekly schedule includes individual position workouts on Mondays and Tuesdays, a shooting day on Wednesday and “No Turnover Thursday,” when players who commit three turnovers in practice are sent running.

Fridays are known as “plug in the gaps” or “connect the dots” days. That is when Sampson steps in more directly. Until then, most of the instruction is led by assistant coaches and trainers. But that does not mean Sampson is not watching.

“The first open gym, it’s like he came in like the Boogeyman,” Flemings said. “We were hooping, he wasn’t in the gym . Out of nowhere, he comes in and starts running somebody.”

It’s no secret to Sampson that the expectations make everyone work an extra bit harder.

“One thing we don’t have to worry about this time of year is attitude and effort,” Sampson said.  “Freshmen are scared. They don’t want to screw up. They don’t want to get fussed and cussed out.”

The demands are steep, but shared experience has forged a strong connection among the freshmen.

“It’s a great thing to know that there’s people behind me going through the same thing I’m going through and that I have somebody to push me,” Jackson said. “I got three guys back here that’s always pushing me. I’m pushing them. It’s a great thing to have.”

Houston’s culture is written in sweat, bruises and floor burns, marks that show who’s willing to dive for a loose ball.

The highest-ranked freshman class in Cougar history is not skipping out on orientation. They are using it to prove they belong.

—
“Houston’s top-ranked recruiting class dives headfirst into summer workouts” was originally posted on The Cougar

For freshmen, that means adjusting quickly to the unforgiving expectations that come with wearing a Cougars jersey and being part of one of the nation’s top recruiting classes.

But talk about rankings ended the moment they arrived in Houston. 

“I mean, we’re all talented kids, but the number you were ranked in high school doesn’t matter at all anymore. We’re not even a recruiting class anymore. We’re a part of the team,” Flemings said. “That number has kind of gone out the window as we continue trying to get better and be as good as we can be on the team.”

Under coach Kelvin Sampson, there are no shortcuts.

No Cougar is exempt from the grind, whether it’s full-body VersaClimber sessions, sprints on the baseball field or early morning workouts during Houston’s two grueling four-week summer sessions.

The weekly schedule includes individual position workouts on Mondays and Tuesdays, a shooting day on Wednesday and “No Turnover Thursday,” when players who commit three turnovers in practice are sent running.

Fridays are known as “plug in the gaps” or “connect the dots” days. That is when Sampson steps in more directly. Until then, most of the instruction is led by assistant coaches and trainers. But that does not mean Sampson is not watching.

“The first open gym, it’s like he came in like the Boogeyman,” Flemings said. “We were hooping, he wasn’t in the gym . Out of nowhere, he comes in and starts running somebody.”

It’s no secret to Sampson that the expectations make everyone work an extra bit harder.

“One thing we don’t have to worry about this time of year is attitude and effort,” Sampson said.  “Freshmen are scared. They don’t want to screw up. They don’t want to get fussed and cussed out.”

The demands are steep, but shared experience has forged a strong connection among the freshmen.

“It’s a great thing to know that there’s people behind me going through the same thing I’m going through and that I have somebody to push me,” Jackson said. “I got three guys back here that’s always pushing me. I’m pushing them. It’s a great thing to have.”

Houston’s culture is written in sweat, bruises and floor burns, marks that show who’s willing to dive for a loose ball.

The highest-ranked freshman class in Cougar history is not skipping out on orientation. They are using it to prove they belong.

—
“Houston’s top-ranked recruiting class dives headfirst into summer workouts” was originally posted on The Cougar

For freshmen, that means adjusting quickly to the unforgiving expectations that come with wearing a Cougars jersey and being part of one of the nation’s top recruiting classes.

But talk about rankings ended the moment they arrived in Houston. 

“I mean, we’re all talented kids, but the number you were ranked in high school doesn’t matter at all anymore. We’re not even a recruiting class anymore. We’re a part of the team,” Flemings said. “That number has kind of gone out the window as we continue trying to get better and be as good as we can be on the team.”

Under coach Kelvin Sampson, there are no shortcuts.

No Cougar is exempt from the grind, whether it’s full-body VersaClimber sessions, sprints on the baseball field or early morning workouts during Houston’s two grueling four-week summer sessions.

The weekly schedule includes individual position workouts on Mondays and Tuesdays, a shooting day on Wednesday and “No Turnover Thursday,” when players who commit three turnovers in practice are sent running.

Fridays are known as “plug in the gaps” or “connect the dots” days. That is when Sampson steps in more directly. Until then, most of the instruction is led by assistant coaches and trainers. But that does not mean Sampson is not watching.

“The first open gym, it’s like he came in like the Boogeyman,” Flemings said. “We were hooping, he wasn’t in the gym . Out of nowhere, he comes in and starts running somebody.”

It’s no secret to Sampson that the expectations make everyone work an extra bit harder.

“One thing we don’t have to worry about this time of year is attitude and effort,” Sampson said.  “Freshmen are scared. They don’t want to screw up. They don’t want to get fussed and cussed out.”

The demands are steep, but shared experience has forged a strong connection among the freshmen.

“It’s a great thing to know that there’s people behind me going through the same thing I’m going through and that I have somebody to push me,” Jackson said. “I got three guys back here that’s always pushing me. I’m pushing them. It’s a great thing to have.”

Houston’s culture is written in sweat, bruises and floor burns, marks that show who’s willing to dive for a loose ball.

The highest-ranked freshman class in Cougar history is not skipping out on orientation. They are using it to prove they belong.

—
“Houston’s top-ranked recruiting class dives headfirst into summer workouts” was originally posted on The Cougar

For freshmen, that means adjusting quickly to the unforgiving expectations that come with wearing a Cougars jersey and being part of one of the nation’s top recruiting classes.

But talk about rankings ended the moment they arrived in Houston. 

“I mean, we’re all talented kids, but the number you were ranked in high school doesn’t matter at all anymore. We’re not even a recruiting class anymore. We’re a part of the team,” Flemings said. “That number has kind of gone out the window as we continue trying to get better and be as good as we can be on the team.”

Under coach Kelvin Sampson, there are no shortcuts.

No Cougar is exempt from the grind, whether it’s full-body VersaClimber sessions, sprints on the baseball field or early morning workouts during Houston’s two grueling four-week summer sessions.

The weekly schedule includes individual position workouts on Mondays and Tuesdays, a shooting day on Wednesday and “No Turnover Thursday,” when players who commit three turnovers in practice are sent running.

Fridays are known as “plug in the gaps” or “connect the dots” days. That is when Sampson steps in more directly. Until then, most of the instruction is led by assistant coaches and trainers. But that does not mean Sampson is not watching.

“The first open gym, it’s like he came in like the Boogeyman,” Flemings said. “We were hooping, he wasn’t in the gym . Out of nowhere, he comes in and starts running somebody.”

It’s no secret to Sampson that the expectations make everyone work an extra bit harder.

“One thing we don’t have to worry about this time of year is attitude and effort,” Sampson said.  “Freshmen are scared. They don’t want to screw up. They don’t want to get fussed and cussed out.”

The demands are steep, but shared experience has forged a strong connection among the freshmen.

“It’s a great thing to know that there’s people behind me going through the same thing I’m going through and that I have somebody to push me,” Jackson said. “I got three guys back here that’s always pushing me. I’m pushing them. It’s a great thing to have.”

Houston’s culture is written in sweat, bruises and floor burns, marks that show who’s willing to dive for a loose ball.

The highest-ranked freshman class in Cougar history is not skipping out on orientation. They are using it to prove they belong.

—
“Houston’s top-ranked recruiting class dives headfirst into summer workouts” was originally posted on The Cougar

For freshmen, that means adjusting quickly to the unforgiving expectations that come with wearing a Cougars jersey and being part of one of the nation’s top recruiting classes.

But talk about rankings ended the moment they arrived in Houston. 

“I mean, we’re all talented kids, but the number you were ranked in high school doesn’t matter at all anymore. We’re not even a recruiting class anymore. We’re a part of the team,” Flemings said. “That number has kind of gone out the window as we continue trying to get better and be as good as we can be on the team.”

Under coach Kelvin Sampson, there are no shortcuts.

No Cougar is exempt from the grind, whether it’s full-body VersaClimber sessions, sprints on the baseball field or early morning workouts during Houston’s two grueling four-week summer sessions.

The weekly schedule includes individual position workouts on Mondays and Tuesdays, a shooting day on Wednesday and “No Turnover Thursday,” when players who commit three turnovers in practice are sent running.

Fridays are known as “plug in the gaps” or “connect the dots” days. That is when Sampson steps in more directly. Until then, most of the instruction is led by assistant coaches and trainers. But that does not mean Sampson is not watching.

“The first open gym, it’s like he came in like the Boogeyman,” Flemings said. “We were hooping, he wasn’t in the gym . Out of nowhere, he comes in and starts running somebody.”

It’s no secret to Sampson that the expectations make everyone work an extra bit harder.

“One thing we don’t have to worry about this time of year is attitude and effort,” Sampson said.  “Freshmen are scared. They don’t want to screw up. They don’t want to get fussed and cussed out.”

The demands are steep, but shared experience has forged a strong connection among the freshmen.

“It’s a great thing to know that there’s people behind me going through the same thing I’m going through and that I have somebody to push me,” Jackson said. “I got three guys back here that’s always pushing me. I’m pushing them. It’s a great thing to have.”

Houston’s culture is written in sweat, bruises and floor burns, marks that show who’s willing to dive for a loose ball.

The highest-ranked freshman class in Cougar history is not skipping out on orientation. They are using it to prove they belong.

—
“Houston’s top-ranked recruiting class dives headfirst into summer workouts” was originally posted on The Cougar