Jordaine Johnson runs at the state Meet of Champions on Sunday, March 2, at the Ocean Breeze Track and Field Facility on Staten Island, New York.
EAST ORANGE, NJ — Jordaine Johnson has built a reputation as one of the top boys high school sprinters in the state.
The East Orange Campus High School senior showed it at the ultimate meet.
Johnson won both the 200-meter dash and the 400-meter dash at the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s state indoor track and field Meet of Champions at the Ocean Breeze Track and Field Facility on Staten Island, New York, on Sunday, March 2.
Johnson won the 400m dash in 47.43 seconds. Incidentally, current EOCHS head track and field coach Lance Wigfall was a 400m dash champion at both the state indoor and outdoor Meet of Champions as a senior for EOCHS in 2003.
Johnson followed up his 400m win by capturing the 200m dash in a meet-record 21.25. The old record of 21.28 was set last year by Malachi James, of Burlington City.
EOCHS senior Shakur Taylor also competed in the 200m dash at the Meet of Champions, placing 12th in 22.37.
Johnson finished unbeaten in the 200m and only lost once in the 400m this year. He took second in the 400m at the NJSIAA’s North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 state championships.
Johnson’s personal-best time of 21.03 in the 200m at the Super Essex Conference-American Division Championships on Wednesday, Feb. 26, and his personal-best 47.07 in the 400m, set at the Dr. Sander Scorcher at The Armory Track and Field Center in New York City, Jan. 24-25, were the best times in the state this year. The 47.07 is also the third-best time in state history. Johnson also ran a state-best 33.01 in the 300m dash at the Millrose Games at The Armory Center, Feb. 6-8.
Johnson will continue his career on an athletic scholarship at the University of Florida, which won the men’s outdoor national championship last spring.
The EOCHS boys track team posted fine showings at the SEC–American Division Championships at the Ocean Breeze Facility.
Junior Zion Bruce took fifth place in 23.11 in 200-meter dash, behind Johnson’s victory.
Junior Ian Desir took second place in the 1,600-meter run in 4:38.32.
The 4×400-meter relay team took third place in 3 minutes, 30.36 seconds.
Senior Tyler Walker took third place in 2:00.51 and Desir took sixth place in 2:03.18 in the 800-meter run.
Bruce took sixth place in the 55-meter hurdles in 8.05.
The novice sprint relay team took first place in 4:00.41.
On the girls’ side, sophomore Corri Grayson took fifth place in the 55-meter dash in 7.37; the 4×400-meter relay team took sixth place in 4:26.25 and the novice sprint medley relay team took fifth place in 5:16.89.
Photos Courtesy of Jatzell Cedeno-Almon
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