Hawaii Pacific University Athletics

Jackson Burns joins the Sharks in his first year from Brandon, South Dakota. The 5-foot-10 right-handed golfer is pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice at Hawai'i Pacific.

Burns comes to HPU after a standout career at Brandon Valley High School, where he earned varsity letters in both golf and basketball under coaches Jeff Lockner (golf) and Craig Nelson (basketball). On the course, he was a two-time All-State AA Boys Golf selection (2024, 2025) and earned All-Conference Metro honors three times (2023, 2024, 2025). He was also named to the All-Conference Eastern South Dakota team in 2024.

Burns chose HPU because it lets him pursue three goals at once: seeing the world, working toward a career in the Air Force, and playing college golf. Away from the course, he enjoys hiking, working out, driving and fishing. Looking ahead, he hopes to become a pilot in the U.S. Air Force. Burns was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and is the son of Jon and Libby Burns. He has a sister, Kenzi, and two brothers, Iken and Luka.