BELGRADE, Serbia – Natashia Jackson might be done wearing Northwestern State purple, but she'll have on a different shade on the world stage Sunday.

Jackson will compete for Team USA at the 18^th World Athletics Indoor Championships in Serbia after qualifying for the 4x400 relay pool.

The former Lady Demon, who still practices and resides in Natchitoches, finished fifth overall in the 400 meters at the USA Indoor Championships in late February.

Jackson clocked times of 54.21 and 54.40 at the national indoor meet.

"It's a tremendous honor for her, and a big deal for her professional career," said NSU sprints coach Adam Pennington, who added that views 'Speedy' as a daughter. "She's met some milestones that she probably thought she never would, and to represent your country on a stage like this – the Demon family is super excited for her.

"Speedy is out here on a daily basis, training alone and training hard. You don't have to tell her much because she knows what she wants, and I can't wait to see her in that uniform."

The USA's 400 meters team consists of two individual sprinters (Lynna Irby and Jessica Beard) and four other relay pool sprinters (Jackson, Brittany Aveni, T'Shelia Mungo and Naasha Robinson).

There are two 4x400 rounds at the indoor championships, both on Sunday.

The first round will be 6:10 a.m. (Central Standard Time) with the finals at 1:40 p.m.

"Speedy will likely run the early round in the relay, and then the coaches will go with the best fit in the later round," Pennington said. "You never know what might happen with injuries, etc., and Speedy will be somebody they can rely on when it's time to go."

Jackson, a former Southland Conference Women's Athlete of the Year and 19-time gold medalist which ranks second in SLC history, owns the NSU school record in the 400 (52.55).

The Houston native is the first known NSU sprinter to compete at an indoor world championships meet.

NSU has three other competitors on the world indoors stage – triple jumpers LaMark Carter and Kenta Bell and high jumper Brian Brown.

Carter had NSU's best finish on the world indoors stage when he claimed silver in the triple jump in 1999.