Jordaine Johnson won the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes at the SEC–American Division Championships at Schools Stadium in Newark on May 2.
EAST ORANGE, NJ — East Orange Campus High School 2025 graduate and track and field star Jordaine Johnson was the recipient of the prestigious 67th annual Essex Award, presented by The Men of Essex, during a May 21 ceremony at a catering establishment in Belleville.
This past indoor track and field season, Johnson took second place in the 300-meter dash at the 117th Millrose Games at the Armory Center in New York City on Feb. 8, finishing in 33.01 seconds. This victory broke the state record of 33.26 by the late Mario Heslop, of Franklin. Johnson’s record-breaking time also was ninth in the nation.
Johnson placed fifth in the 400-meter dash at the indoor nationals.
Johnson won the 400-meter dash for the second straight year at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Group 4 state indoor championships, clocking 48.29; and then won both the 200-meter (meet-record 21.25) and 400-meter (47.43) dashes at the NJSIAA’s state indoor Meet of Champions.
This past spring, Johnson took second in the 200-meter dash, behind teammate Shakur Taylor, and also took second in the 400-meter dash at the North 1, Group 4 state sectional meet.
In his junior year, Johnson took third place in the 200-meter dash in 21.67 at the NJSIAA’s state indoor Meet of Champions. In the outdoor season, he took second place in the 400-meter dash 47.31 at the state Meet of Champions.
Johnson also won numerous conference, county and state sectional individual titles in his illustrious career.
Johnson will continue his track career at the University of Florida on an athletic scholarship. Florida is regarded as having one of top collegiate track programs in the nation.
The Men of Essex is one of the state’s oldest African-American charitable organizations, dedicated to bettering the lives of residents in the greater Essex County New Jersey community.
Photo Courtesy of East Orange Campus HS boys head track and field coach Lance Wigfall
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