Jarvis Alexander, UPrep graduate and state track champion, dies in Rochester shooting

The first time Jarvis Alexander ran in front of the former University Preparatory Charter School for Young Men track coach, the performance was less than picture-perfect.

"We will fix this," Majied Eason recalled telling Alexander, who found it hard to believe his technique was flawed.

By the time Alexander was close to graduation from the small high school in the city of Rochester, he was a high school state champion, who vowed to help his younger brother to become a reliable teammate and fast sprinter, just like he was.

"Without a question, if he said he was going to do something, he did it," Eason said.

Eason and current UPrep assistant track coach Demetrius Bennett watched Alexander's determination blossom repeatedly, before the Alfred University sophomore's death in the early morning hours of Sept. 19.

Alexander, 19, was one of the two victims killed in a mass shooting during a house party on the 200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, near the Rochester Public Market. Fourteen other shooting victims were wounded among a gathering that numbered at least 100 people. Jaquayla Young, a 2019 East High graduate, was also shot and killed. Police say Alexander and Young were innocent bystanders during a gunfight. 

"He wasn’t a bad kid. Sometimes people say that, and you know things about them," Bennett said. "This kid doesn't have any enemies. He was a kid, you want to have fun, you want to hang out.

"I've coached almost 20 years. This one is the hardest, because this kid, he came through his adversity in academics, got it done and graduated. It’s like you are here today and gone tomorrow and haven’t even lived a life." 

'This one reaches deep':Shooting victim Jaquayla Young remembered as a beloved leader

Proud of his accomplishments

Eason, who now lives in Providence and teaches in Boston, said Alexander moved to the Rochester area from the state of Florida, and at one point, attended high school at Gates Chili.

Alexander transferred to UPrep as a junior, He also played football at his new high school. 

"He had to turn it up, double up on classes because of what he lacked from Florida," Eason said. "That is one of the thing I'm proud of. He could have easily walked away, or go to summer school. He was like, 'Nah, I will get this done.' 

"And he finished strong." 

Eason said Alexander went straight to Alfred, where he planned to join the outdoor track and field and indoor track teams.

"He has so much talent," Bennett said. "We were talking about getting him with Cascius (Facen at ASA Miami College in Florida) or to another junior college. We were advocates of him continuing to run track.

"We told him, 'Your first year, try to get acclimated with the school.' He was listening, adjust to school first, and then go from there."

'A tragedy of epic proportions':Rochester reacts to largest local shooting in memory

'I got you, coach'

Alexander transferred to UPrep from Gates Chili, as a junior with no experience competing in outdoor track and field or indoor track, according to assistant coach Demetrius Bennett. 

"A diamond in the rough, he never ran track in his life," Bennett said. "Everyone said he was fast." 

Alexander became a sprinter and competed in jumps on both 2018 UPrep track teams.

"He was one of the key cogs his junior year, for us to win the (Class B outdoor) sectional title," Bennett said. "He ran the 400, scored key points there. Came back for the 200.

"The meet clincher was the 200. He placed in that (scoring more key points). That clinched the meet for us. He was that kid. Coach Eason would say, 'Listen, we need you to do something.' No arguments. 'I got you man, I got you coach.' Simple as that."

The following winter during Alexander's senior year at UPrep, the indoor team found itself behind Edison at a meet during the 800-meter relay. And Cascius Facen, a future AGR sprinter at UPrep, already ran his leg, bringing the 4 x 200 into second-place.

"We are talking to him (during the third leg), 'We are behind, do you think you can catch him?'," Bennett said he asked Alexander, UPrep's anchor member of the relay. "He smiled. 'I got you coach.'

"He walked down the Edison runner from third place, passed him to win. It was that which showed us he's all in. He made us believe that we can go to another level. That showed us he was the heart."

Bennett has shown video of that race to other UPrep sprinters, lessons about remaining poised and maintaining confidence.

Later in that season, Alexander advanced to the high school indoor state championships meet in the individual 55-meter dash, then with teammates, the 1,600 relay.

Alexander and other members of the relay would turn their experience at indoor states on Staten Island into a launch pad toward success at the outdoor track and field state championships.

Perriyone Brown, Lawson Eriq, Facen and Alexander teamed up to become state champions in the Division II, or small-schools, 400 relay, a race where each runner sprints 400 meters around the track.

A lane violation disqualified UPrep in the Federation final, a race that included relays from New York City, like Cardinal Hayes in the Bronx, and larger schools, including Rush-Henrietta in Section V.

But there was more for Alexander at the meet, as he was among the final eight in the Division II public school 100 dash final and continued through rounds in the 200.

"People don't understand," Bennett said. "He made it to the 200 (Federation) final. (Alexander finished sixth)." 

That was a pretty picture for Eason.

"When we went to states, his biggest thing was, 'Can my brother come with us?'," Eason said. "His brother was on the team, but he didn’t know he was going as an alternate.

"I said (kiddingly), 'If I let him go, he has to be a part of a fast relay next year.' Jarvis said, 'I’m going to work with him, I’m going to make sure he’s as fast as I am.' He was the glue to our team. When he would underperform, he would say we can do better than this.' He was an extension of the coaches." 

Reporter James Johnson covers high school sports. Send story tips to JAMESJ@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @JJDandC. Your subscription makes work like this possible.