by Brandon Call
Daily Lobo
In the story of the Mountain West Conference cross country meet, Jeremy Johnson got the ending he had always wanted.
Johnson won the MWC Championship in the last home meet of his career.
"It's a storybook ending," Johnson said. "I wanted to give people a good show here with my last hometown race for cross country. It's a dream come true."
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The 2006 All-American finished in 24:23 - 25 seconds ahead of his closest opponent.
Johnson, who holds the regular season MWC and UNM record for an 8-kilometer race, clocked the sixth-fastest time in MWC Championship history.
A fifth-place finisher a year ago, Johnson said his plan was to set a strong pace early.
"From the very get-go, I didn't want to mess around," he said. "I decided I was going to have an honest race, so I went with a good pace, and it was pretty simple."
Wyoming's Mark Korir, TCU's Festus Kigen and Johnson got out to a fast start, finishing the first mile in 4:43.
The trio quickly emerged as the frontrunners, staying tight through two miles.
However, Johnson broke away during the third mile, running it in 4:52. He was 12 seconds faster than Korir.
Head coach Joe Franklin said the fast pace highlighted Johnson's athleticism.
"Jeremy ran phenomenal," he said. "He established himself as one of the top 10 in the country. To do it alone is impressive. He's out there by himself after 2K, running with only the golf cart."
Johnson increased his lead during the final two miles with a 5:05 fourth mile and a 4:50 fifth mile for the win.
"I just focused on running," Johnson said. "I set a pace and stuck to it, and that's really
the key."
Franklin said Johnson's concentration makes him a strong runner.
"Jeremy focuses on the task at hand," he said. "He is so focused that he has lost his keys twice in two days, instead putting his mind on winning the race."
Johnson, a Manzano High School alumnus, is the first native New Mexican to win a conference cross country title for the Lobos since John Baker in 1964.
Johnson showcased his talent at home after the MWC decided Thursday to move the championships from San Diego to Albuquerque because of the wildfires.
Johnson said he was thankful for the opportunity to run in front of his friends and family one last time.
"I didn't think I was going to get to run here again," Johnson said. "My parents and my nephews got to see me. That's real special to me, and that's something that I am going to remember
forever."
