The numerous medals, ribbons and certificates on a wall in her bedroom only tell part of Susan Jackson’s story.

Jackson will be remembered by saving her best for last — high-jumping a season best 5-9 in the finals, breaking her own Napa High School record and finishing second in the CIF State Track and Field Meet at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento last month.

Her performance against the best in California capped four years of all-around excellence and domination as a multi-event performer in running and field events.

But to get to that point, Jackson had to test and challenge herself, both mentally and physically. She had to make a comeback in the sport after having knee surgeries — the first on April 14, 2005 and the second one on Aug. 12 of the same year — to repair injuries to her meniscus. It knocked her out of competition for most of her sophomore year.

She wasn’t able to high jump at all for an entire year.

“The surgeries were really hard,” said Susan’s mother, Denise Jackson.

“I was amazed with Susan’s progress and ability to recover, as I think that took incredible maturity and dedication and focus. When she went into the first operation there was absolutely no clue that there would be a second one.”

To Susan’s credit, she bounced back. She also put aside some nagging injuries this past spring and persevered like never before as she put together one of the best seasons ever by a local athlete, combining the high jump with the long and triple jumps and the 200-meter dash.

For her outstanding efforts, Jackson has been named as the Napa Valley Register’s Female Athlete of the Year for the 2006-07 school year.

“She has gone over and beyond anybody’s expectations,” said Steve Gonsolin, a Napa High assistant coach who has worked with Jackson.

“She may be by far the best female athlete that’s come out of Napa. For her to come in as a freshman, break a school record pretty much right off the start and to nearly jump 40 feet in the triple jump, it showed right away how phenomenal she is.”

Jackson, a graduate of Napa Valley Alternative who will attend Sacramento State University in the fall on a track scholarship, posted a ton of highlights and achievements in her final year with the Indians. They include:

• A sweep of the long, triple and high jumps at the Napa County Track and Field Championships, sponsored by the Napa Track Club.

• A win in the invitational division of the high jump at the Sacramento Meet of Champions. She was named as the area female field-event athlete of the year and presented with a plaque.

• A first-place finish in the high jump at the Stanford Invitational.

• A tie for first at the Thunder Invitational in Rocklin.

• A tie for fourth place at the Arcadia Invitational, one the country’s most prestigious meets, in Southern California.

• Wins in the high jump and long jump at the Sac-Joaquin Section Track and Field Championships at Cordova-Rancho Cordova.

• A third straight win in the high jump at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Track and Field Championship in Sacramento.

• Wins in the high jump, long jump and triple jump at the Monticello Empire League meet.

• Named All-Metro First-Team by The Sacramento Bee.

• Named most outstanding varsity girls athlete for Napa High track.

Jackson leaves Napa High with school records in the high jump (5-9), triple jump (38-23⁄4), long jump (18-21⁄2) and the 4x400 relay (4:03.56), where her recorded split was 58.33.

“I entered freshman year and I didn’t even think I could make it to State,” Susan, 17, said at her home in Yountville. “But coming out senior year and having this award is amazing. It just shows me how good I really can be and how much potential I really do have.”

Jackson was a three-time State Meet qualifier for Napa, placing third in the high jump and 10th in the triple jump as a freshman, and taking fourth in the high jump as a junior.

“Susan’s really worked hard for many years and she’s competed at the biggest meets that there are and taken on the biggest competition all along,” said Paul Jackson, Susan’s father and the head coach/president of the Napa Track Club.

“It was fantastic to see that performance at State (in June). To place that high there is really an awesome accomplishment.”

Susan came away from her final State Meet feeling good about herself and the way the year went overall.

“I really wanted just to do good at State and prove to myself how good I am,” she said.

Jackson thanked Frank Defilippis, the founder and former coach of the Napa Track Club, for getting her started in the high jump when she was 9.

“He really is the one to thank about getting me in the high jump and showing me how it’s done and teaching me everything.”

Jackson — who has personal records of 5-10 (high jump), 18-21⁄2 (long jump) and 39-93⁄4 (triple jump) — also works with Tony Giovannoni, the jumps coach for the NTC.

“We’re all really proud of the way she came back from her injury and the way she’s handled it,” said Giovannoni.

“She’s a great athlete to coach, because you can tell her to change things and it seems like she can just adjust very easily. I’m just really looking forward to seeing how she does when she moves on to college.”

Jackson holds Pacific Association records in the midget, intermediate girls and young women’s divisions, and has won four national titles for the Napa Track Club.