Nathan Johnson begins his victory celebration, which extended around the curve. Photo by Kevin Neri
Utah’s four-star quarterback commit Nathan Johnson isn’t just a football star at Clovis High School. He’ s also a track star.
Johnson won the boys’ 100-meter race with a time of 10.57 seconds Saturday afternoon at the Oregon Relays.
“[I’m] doing the track workouts trying to maintain and [stay] in shape cause the college football workouts are kind of going to be tough,” Johnson said. “[I] gotta be the best, so just doing track doing the workouts here is just gonna help me stay in shape for next year.”
Saturday morning’s prelims for the 100-meter race had seven heats. Johnson’s time of 10.66 seeded him second in the final heat.
Johnson’s start put him in a good position from the beginning of the race.
“It wasn’t the best — I mean, I’ve had better starts — but just to be able to have that top speed around the end and to be able to keep my form, keep those knees driving,” Johnson said. “I was able to pull away at the end.”
Johnson’s top speed definitely came later in the race as he pulled away from the competition.
“At that point, I was saying keep going through the phases and then at the end just lift and relax,” Johnson said. “Don’t panic, don’t lose the form and then at the end God blessed me with the ability to win.”
Johnson said he will finish out his senior track season, then head for Utah and summer football training.
“I’m a football guy that does track,” he said. “I know I’m fast just gotta get a lot faster cause I know those guys on the football field are going to be quick, so I gotta be able to have that speed on the field.”
