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May 28, 2008

Brett Johnson moves closer to another state championship

By TOM WILLIAMS
Sports Columnist


Brett Johnson was nervous over the Memorial Day weekend.

It wasn't Friday when he won the 1600 in the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 3 Meet for the second straight year. It wasn't Saturday morning when he added his first South Jersey 800 meter championship. And it wasn't during the 3200 meters, when he came from behind on the final lap to win that event for the second straight year.

It was on Monday.

"One year ago on Monday was when I suffered those stress fractures in my foot," said the Ocean City High School junior. "I was very, very nervous when I went out Monday for a run with John Fennekohl. We ran almost exactly the same run as a year ago. I told myself if I felt any kind of pain, I'd stop. But, luckily, I got through it with no problems."

Johnson didn't even go to South Plainfield for the state meet a year ago, fearing that if he'd been there, it would have taken three people to keep him from running. So this weekend will be his first legitimate shot at a state track championship. As a freshman he finished fifth in the 1600 in South Jersey and then was 15th in the state meet.

In the fall, Johnson won his first state championship by finishing first in the NJSIAA State Group 3 Cross Country Meet.

Very few runners have achieved what will now be called The Johnson Trifecta. Running distance events like the 1600 and 3200 on consecutive days against very tough competition is difficult enough. But throwing a speed event like the 800 in between, just an hour or two before the 3200, makes it quite a challenge.

Johnson took the challenge largely to try to score as many team points as possible. He hoped to win all three races but realistically would have been satisfied with two wins and a second or third. Instead, he set a standard that will be a challenge to top runners for a long, long time.

What does a runner do with the time between running the 800 and the 3200?

"John (Fennekohl) and I went out for a run between the 800 and 3200," said Johnson. "He grabbed me and we did an easy jog for a mile or two just to get my legs moving again. Then I was able to get my legs up, eat a little banana and a little of my power bar and drink as much water possible. It was pretty hot."

This weekend, at South Plainfield High School, the state meet will be held. The qualifiers from Group 3 and all Non-Public schools will compete there. Those from Groups 1, 2 and 4 will be competing at Egg Harbor Township High School.

There were four different Group 3 meets over the weekend, including one in Central Jersey and two in North Jersey. The winners and their times are available through newspapers like the Star-Ledger and many online sites. But Johnson isn't curious.

"I'm not a big fan of doing that," he said, "because it just makes me play guessing games in my head. You start worrying about somebody and then somebody else, who didn't run his best time in the sectionals, ends up being the runner everybody has to beat. I don't want to have a time in mind that should win and then have to face a much faster time. I'd rather just run my race and adjust throughout as it becomes clear which runners are the best."

The schedule will be the same this weekend. The 1600 will be run on Friday, the 800 on Saturday morning and the 3200 on Saturday afternoon. Will Johnson try to repeat his trifecta?

"We're not sure," he said. "I am positive I will do the mile (1600) and probably 95 percent sure I'll do the 800. The two-mile (3200) is up in the air. It depends on how my legs feel and how I feel. There is a chance, if my legs feel tired Saturday morning, I might skip the 800 (which is run right away, at about 10:15) and run the 3200. But if I feel good in the morning, I'll run the 800 and then see how I feel. The competition is so good I won't try it if I don't feel good. The decision might be made five minutes before I'd have to be at the starting line."

Regardless of what he decides on Saturday, one thing is sure. For decades South Jersey high school runners will be talking about Memorial Day weekend 2008 and the brilliant performance turned in by Brett Johnson.


Read more of Tom Williams' columns