After an 11-month layoff, Ahmir Johnson has picked up right where he left off.
Johnson, a Rowan sophomore and transfer from Gwyneed Mercy, is the No. 17 triple jumper in NCAA Division 3 after leaping 46-6 3/4 this past weekend at the Coach I Open at Franklin & Marshall in Lancaster. He went 45-7 1/4 in the Fasttrack Season Opener last month at Ocean Breeze.
Johnson’s last meet before this indoor season was Feb. 22 of last year as a Gwynned-Mercy freshman. He set a school record of 46-8 1/4 and didn’t compete again the rest of indoor season or outdoors.
He’s now No. 2 in the NJAC, just inches behind Chaheen Payne of Rutgers-Newark, who has a 46-11 to his credit from a meet at Ocean Breeze earlier this month.
Johnson also high jumped 6-2 and long jumped 21-4 3/4 at Gwynned-Mercy and finished ranked among the top three in the Atlantic Conference in all three events.
During his high school career at Wissahickon High School in Ambler, Johnson hit 48-5 3/4 indoors at the Track & Field Coaches Association of Greater Philadelphia Meet at Lehigh’s Rauch Fieldhouse in January of 2018 and 47-0 3/4 outdoors at the PIAA District 1 meet at Coatesville. He also jumped 6-4 and 23-4 3/4 at Wissahickon.
Rowan is ranked No. 17 in the initial U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division 3 poll.
Rowan heads to Ithaca, N.Y., this weekend for the Bomber Invitational at Ithaca’s Glazer Arena.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 