Conference Track Preview: Two Sprinters, One Goal
5/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
He came within .07 seconds of setting a school record in the 100 meters. The record still stands, but it was a thrill nonetheless to come so close to breaking the record held by his former sprinting buddy Steve Heberly. Johnson and Heberly were like two peas in a pod for several years as the two pushed each other in the 100, 200 and 400. As it turned out, Heberly’s strength was the 100 and Johnson’s was the 400, but they pushed each other anyway. Heberly still holds the school record in the 100 and 200, but he is less than one tenth of a second faster in each than Johnson, who sits in second on the records list in both.
These days, Johnson is pushing another sprinter in the same way he was pushed by the older Heberly his first couple years as a Bobcat. That fellow sprinter is Nick Puckett, who is running in his first collegiate outdoor conference meet this coming weekend. Puckett, a freshman from Athol, Idaho, understands the dynamic between Heberly and Johnson.
“When we went to get ready to run the 400 at the conference indoor, he told me it was the first time he had done that (conference meet) without Heberly,” Puckett said.
But even though his old cohort is gone, Johnson knows it’s now his turn to play the part of the mentor.
“I know Nick has a lot of potential,” Johnson said. “The same kind of potential I had as a freshman. And Steve was good at calming me down and helping me with my emotions. Now I think it’s time for me to play that role with him. Your first time at a meet like this can be intimidating and I need to let him know that he belongs there.”
Johnson is running in his last conference outdoor meet – Puckett is running in his first. When asked about the lessons he has learned from Johnson so far, Puckett is quick to reiterate the wisdom Johnson has passed on.
“One thing I learned from him early is that I’m probably always not going to like the 400 because it’s the hardest race to run,” Puckett said. “But I know now that nobody that runs it really likes it. You don’t have to like it to get good at it. He’s shown me that.”
Puckett is also quick to point out that Johnson is one of the reasons he came to Montana State.
“He’s one of the big reasons I came here,” Puckett said. “I knew I would have a whole year to run with one of the top 15 400 runners in the country.”
Each one is running a leg in the men’s 4 X 400 relay this weekend. Johnson is also running in the 200 and Puckett is running a leg in the 4 X 100 as well. They are both running in the 400. Chances are they will not be in the same heat, but when Nick Puckett lines up for his preliminary 400 race, Johnson’s presence will be right there with him.And both sprinters have one goal: to run the best race of their life.
These days, Johnson is pushing another sprinter in the same way he was pushed by the older Heberly his first couple years as a Bobcat. That fellow sprinter is Nick Puckett, who is running in his first collegiate outdoor conference meet this coming weekend. Puckett, a freshman from Athol, Idaho, understands the dynamic between Heberly and Johnson.
“When we went to get ready to run the 400 at the conference indoor, he told me it was the first time he had done that (conference meet) without Heberly,” Puckett said.
But even though his old cohort is gone, Johnson knows it’s now his turn to play the part of the mentor.
“I know Nick has a lot of potential,” Johnson said. “The same kind of potential I had as a freshman. And Steve was good at calming me down and helping me with my emotions. Now I think it’s time for me to play that role with him. Your first time at a meet like this can be intimidating and I need to let him know that he belongs there.”
Johnson is running in his last conference outdoor meet – Puckett is running in his first. When asked about the lessons he has learned from Johnson so far, Puckett is quick to reiterate the wisdom Johnson has passed on.
“One thing I learned from him early is that I’m probably always not going to like the 400 because it’s the hardest race to run,” Puckett said. “But I know now that nobody that runs it really likes it. You don’t have to like it to get good at it. He’s shown me that.”
Puckett is also quick to point out that Johnson is one of the reasons he came to Montana State.
“He’s one of the big reasons I came here,” Puckett said. “I knew I would have a whole year to run with one of the top 15 400 runners in the country.”
Each one is running a leg in the men’s 4 X 400 relay this weekend. Johnson is also running in the 200 and Puckett is running a leg in the 4 X 100 as well. They are both running in the 400. Chances are they will not be in the same heat, but when Nick Puckett lines up for his preliminary 400 race, Johnson’s presence will be right there with him.And both sprinters have one goal: to run the best race of their life.
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