A native of Omaha, Neb., James Blackledge was the first athlete on the men’s track and field team to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, as he was named a second-team honoree in 1988. While succeeding in the classroom, Blackledge was one of NU’s top jumpers, winning the 1988 Big Eight indoor high jump crown with a leap of 7-0 1/4. Entering the 2010 season, Blackledge ranks tied for 10th on NU’s all-time indoor performance list his jump of 7-2 on Jan. 30, 1987. He graduated with a degree in actuarial science in May of 1988.