REESE JOHNSON (FAR RIGHT) LEANS TO A 2ND PLACE FINISH AT STATE INDOOR.
For Mandeville's Reese Johnson, the 2023 season actually started in December of 2022 at the Birmingham Crossplex for her first meet of the indoor season-The Galleria Games in Alabama. In that meet, she ran a 7.82 in the prelims of the 60m. She finished the indoor season with a second-place finish in the same event at the LHSAA Division I State Indoor Meet with a personal record time of 7.62.
While .20 may not not seem like much, when you are one of the best sprinters in the state and improving that much--over a short distance and two-month period...it's kind of a big deal.
Even though the high school season is over, Johnnson continues to be a big deal as she was voted as the 2023 MileSplit LA Girls' Athlete of the Year by friends, family, and supporters of Mandeville High School and the Southeast Louisiana Roadrunners, Johnnson' summer track club.
"I'm so thankful for all of the support I've received this year from family and friends," Johnson said. "I wouldn't be here without the ones who pushed me to be a better version of myself on and off the track."
Johnson gave credit to her coaches Dante Perkins and Mandeville head track coach Anthony Pequeno.
"Throughout this season Coach Perkins has helped me through physical and mental challenges, and I would like to thank him for the time and attention to detail he put into fundamentals, race models, daily workouts, recovery, etc. that were key to the execution of this season," Johnson said. "I would also like to thank Coach Pequeno for keeping the momentum throughout the school season and finding opportunities for our team to compete at a higher level."
During the outdoor season, Johnson finished third in both the 100m (12.06) and 200m (24.87) at the LHSAA Class 5A State Outdoor Championships.
Johnson isn't done yet. She will be running in local AAU meets with the Southeast Louisiana Roadrunners while also traveling to Oregon to compete at the Nike Outdoor Nationals.
While she extends her 2023 season, there is still some excitement about what is in store for her during her senior year at Mandeville.
