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MNW grad Johnson soaring for Northwestern College

Junior is member of Red Raider track team

ORANGE CITY – Jackson Johnson has his sights set on his best season yet as a member of the Northwestern College track and field team.

Johnson, a graduate of Manson Northwest Webster, is a junior for the Red Raiders. Recently, he qualified for indoor NAIA National Championships in the high jump after clearing 6-feet, 7.5 inches. That performance earned him a title at the Dennis Young Classic in Storm Lake and placed him third in the GPAC and 11th in the nation in the event.

“The indoor season has gone pretty well so far,” Johnson said. “My goals for this indoor and outdoor season are to finish Top-3 in the conference and finish Top-5 at the national meet.”

A two-time all conference performer already, Johnson advanced to nationals last year as a sophomore in the high jump. He picked up five Top-10 finishes in five meets that season after going 7-for-7 in Top-10s as a freshman in 2017.

“The biggest difference between outdoor and indoor high jumping for me is the conditions,” he said. “Outdoor can be a lot of adjustments to the runway and form due to wind or temperature, while indoor is a consistent environment where I can have the same approach and form while not having to worry about weather conditions.”

While in high school, Johnson was a multi-sport standout for the Cougars, lettering four years in track and qualifying for the state meet each season. He also earned fifth at the Drake Relays as a junior and qualified as a senior.

“High jumping at the collegiate level is different because I get to see guys that jump 6-10 to 7-feet most meets,” Johnson said. “Knowing what I need to do to catch up to those jumpers is a good thing for me to see. Also, my coaches do a really great job of working with me and making sure I’m making the right adjustments to my form and approach so I have the best chance to compete at the highest level I can.”

Johnson played basketball for MNW, averaging over 21 points per game and earning two first team all-Twin Lakes Conference honors. He was a two-sport athlete for two seasons here with Northwestern, competing on the basketball team.

“Balancing my time between sports and academics has been challenging at some points with projects and tests to study for, but Northwestern has a great tutoring center that offers review sessions and one-on-one study times which helps a lot,” said Johnson, who is a biology/ecological science major. “I try to work ahead on daily work as much as possible if I know I’ll have a busy week, and teachers are understanding of my commitments to both academics and sports, so having them be so accommodating is a blessing to have.”

The GPAC Championships will take place Feb. 15-16 in Nebraska with nationals scheduled for Feb. 28-March 2 in Brookings, S.D. The outdoor season begins late in March and runs through May.

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