Fresh off of his LHSAA Division I state championship in the 800m, West Monroe's Tytan Johnson will open his senior outdoor season on Thursday evening at the Benton Tiger Relays. Johnson won his first state championship less than a month ago with an indoor personal record of 1:55.87.
Johnson's time ranks No. 1 indoors in Louisiana this year and No. 8 on the all-time list. No. 3 on that all-time list is Catholic's William Decuir, who ran a 1:54.3 on the banked track at the New Balance Indoor Nationals in Boston a year ago. Decuir was in this year's D1 800m race but finished at No. 11. Mandeville's Brayden Berglund was the runner up behind Johnson with a time of 1:55.93.
Usually, when Johnson runs there is a song that pops in his head, but his state championship race was different.
"It was weird," Johnson said. "When I saw Berglund pass me on the third lap I said to myself 'you have to go.' It was like a switch flipped. It was silent, but it was fantastic."
Johnson, who ran 1:52.55 twice at the end of the last outdoor season, is no stranger to running fast, but last month's title was his first state championship.
"It was cathartic," Johnson said. "Just surreal. My times show it, I've never really performed to my ability during the indoor season. Something always seems to happen. Whether it is getting packed up or something else. To finally put it together and quit underestimating myself, it was truly fantastic."
This time next year, Johnson will be at Columbia University in New York where he is looking forward to being around a special group of people to help him grow into "what I can become," Johnson said.
But, he will always remember being a West Monroe Rebel.
"There is an air about being a West Monroe Rebel," Johnson said. "The way our school rallies around our sports teams. You can see it when you go watch the Rebels play and you can feel it when you are competing at home and the fans are cheering for you. That is what I will miss the most."
But Johnson has some unfinished business to take care of.
"I want to see what my mind and body are capable of," Johnson said when asked about his goals for the outdoor season. He has Blair Henderson state record 1:50.04 in his sights and ready to chase greatness.
It all begins tomorrow at the Benton Tiger Relays. The field events begin at 3pm and the running will get underway at 4pm.
