By Jared Fields, Editor in Chief
A week ago, Don Hood said taking athletes to any meets this weekend would take some special circumstances. It’s the last week of meets before the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships in two weeks, and only a few meets are being hosted.
Since then, however, quite a few special circumstances have arisen – 11 to be exact. The most notable circumstance involves Jordan Johnson, who on Monday learned of his eligibility for the 2008 indoor and outdoor season.
“I was nervous at first, and then it got to a point where I was more like, ‘I’d rather them tell me no than keep me waiting,” Johnson said. “I started dancing, running up and down my stairs and I was sweating. I called coach, I ran up [to the track] and I started calling my mom, brother, all my friends.”
Johnson came to ACU in January of 2006 to run track after first going to the University of Utah to play football and run track. However, after the head football coach Urban Meyer’s departure from Utah and the ongoing problem of not having a track team, Johnson decided to transfer to Abilene. Hood, ACU’s head coach, recruited Johnson out of Mesquite Poteet High School and put him on the 4×400-meter relay and the individual 400.
“He got tired of it and wanted to go to a place where he could run track,” Hood said. “He didn’t even qualify for the indoor meet and ran 46.2 outdoors and won it.”
In 2006, Johnson ran the second leg of the men’s 4×400 relay team that placed 2nd at the national indoor and outdoor meet. To top off his resume that year, Johnson anchored the men’s 4×100 meter relay team that won the outdoor national championship.
“Last year he had to sit out, and this year he’s back with a vengeance,” Hood said. “I think he’s going to run really well.”
Running really well means Johnson must run at, or below, 48 seconds in order to qualify for the Division II championships.
Johnson will also attempt to qualify in the 200 meters Friday when he competes at the New York University Fast Track Invitational.
The only other Wildcat accompanying Johnson to New York will be Serge Gasore, who will attempt to better his ranking and provisional qualifying time in the 5,000 meters.
Gasore’s current best time of 14:41.60 ranks him 16th in the nation.
Hood said Gasore needs to run just a few seconds faster and if he “just finishes a little stronger he’ll be fine.”
The other nine ACU athletes competing this weekend will be in Lincoln, Neb., at the Nebraska Wesleyan Open.
Three women will take the trip to Nebraska: pole vaulters Katy Abner, Elizabeth Buyse and weight-thrower Jessica Sloss.
Abner and Buyse rank 17th and 18th, respectively, in the nation with identical jumps of 11-10.00. Improving those marks by just three inches would place them in the top 12.
Sloss ranks 19th in the nation with a throw of 54-6.00, but an improvement of two feet would place her in the top 12 as well.
Sloss improves her throws week-to-week and said she feels more confident heading into this weekend.
“I have to stay calm and don’t freak out when I get there,” Sloss said. “Last weekend was good; I’m ready to get out there and show people what I can do.”
The men heading to Nebraska are Julius Nyango, Sylvester Williamson, Chris Pounds and pole vaulters Aaron Cantrell, Cory Altenberg and Bradley Tatum.
-ONE MORE SHOT-
Twelve ACU track and field athletes will to qualify or improve their marks before the Division II Indoor Championships in Mankato, Minn., on March 14-15.
ATHELETE EVENT
* Katy Abner Pole Vault
* Cory Altenberg Pole Vault
* Elizabeth Buyse Pole Vault
* Aaron Cantrell Pole Vault
* Serge Gasore 5000m
* Jordan Johnson 200m, 400m
* Julius Nyango 800m
* Chris Pounds Multiple
* Jessica Sloss Weight Throw
* Bradley Tatum Pole Vault
* Sylvester Williamson 60m
