by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
Jeremy Johnson has to make up for lost time.
Saturday at the Modrall Sperling Lobo Invitational, Johnson showed he is on the right track. The junior distance runner, who transferred to the University of Arizona from the University of New Mexico after his freshman season in 2002, returned to UNM this year.
At the meet, Johnson finished second in the 3,000-meter run with an altitude-adjusted time of 8:29. Colorado State's Rob Watson won the race in 8:15.
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While most athletes who earned a second-place finish on Saturday were thrilled, Johnson said he was not satisfied. He was ranked fourth entering the race, and surged to the front of the pack early and led for more than half the race. Watson came around with about 1,400 meters to go however, and he never looked back.
After the race, Johnson said he was disappointed he did not win, but was glad to be back at UNM.
"It's good to be racing again," Johnson said. "I would have liked to win, but I felt good for most of it. I want to be aggressive, and I did that. Maybe be not quite as aggressive next time though."
Head track and field coach Matt Henry said Johnson's approach was the right one. He has seen Johnson run since his days at Manzano High School in Albuquerque and knows what kind of fire Johnson carries inside him.
"He's a huge, huge competitor, and today he really did try to win that race," Henry said. "He went out a little too fast, but you can't ever tell somebody not to try and win the race."
After graduating from Manzano, Johnson attended UNM for his freshman season. He battled some injuries during the cross country season but still managed to impress Henry and his teammates. He looked to have a bright future as a Lobo, but then Johnson began having personal problems. He transferred from UNM to the University of Arizona in 2003.
Johnson said he didn't want to go into great detail about why he made the move, but that he just needed to get away.
"There was a lot of stuff going on, a lot of family stuff," he said.
His competition at Arizona was limited to the track season because of NCAA eligibility rules after transferring. He continued to train hard and returned to UNM prior to the 2005 cross country season. Johnson had to sit out the cross country season but is eligible for indoor competition. He said he returned to his hometown of Albuquerque because it felt right to be here.
"It's one of the most wonderful places to run, and everyone is so supportive of you," Johnson said. "It's where I'm meant to be."
Despite the runner's temporary departure, Henry and Johnson have a good relationship. Johnson said his respect for Henry is one of the biggest reasons why he decided to return to UNM.
"He's one of my heroes," Johnson said. "He's one of the best coaches ever, I think. I'd rather have him than any coach in the country."
Henry said he is glad to have him back because he expects Johnson to provide a spark to the distance team.
"Jeremy's really a competitor," Henry said. "He's very versatile. He can run a mile and he can run a 5,000. I'm very proud of Jeremy Johnson."
