Jason Johnston

Barry Faulkner

There is the talented league rival, the commitment to his team and

the relentlessly judgmental numbers produced by the stopwatch and

measuring tape.

But take away any or all of these factors and Estancia High senior

Jason Johnston would still work harder than any track and field coach

has a right to expect.

Eagles Coach Steve Crenshaw is among those who both appreciate and

admire the work ethic that seems to propel Johnston, a standout in

both hurdles events, as well as the long jump and triple jump, as

effectively as his churning legs.

“The thing that makes J.J. tick is that he’s a workaholic,”

Crenshaw said. “I was sitting at practice with one of our better

girls athletes a couple weeks ago and she was watching Jason work

out. She asked me ‘Why does Jason work so hard?’ I told her it was

because he has a goal and he knows what it takes to get there.”

Johnston, however, will tell you he works so hard because his

conscience will permit nothing less.

“I’d work hard anyway,” said Johnston when asked about the

motivational force provided by Santa Ana senior Frank Olivas, against

whom he avenged a pair of haunting defeats in the Eagles’ 65-62

Golden West League dual-meet loss March 31.

Olivas edged Johnston by .01 in the 110 high hurdles at league

finals last spring and also beat him by a less than a second in the

league 300 intermediate hurdles final.

Johnston said he held Olivas in his thoughts as he prepared for

this season. He anxiously awaited the rematch, which resulted in a

pair of Johnston victories over his friendly rival in the recent dual

meet.

“I beat him by .01 in the high hurdles and I had to come from

behind to beat him in the 300s,” Johnston said.

Johnston’s winning time in the 110 hurdles was 15.4 seconds, just

two-tenths off his personal best. He clocked a 41.6 to win the 300

hurdles.

He also won the long jump (23 feet, 10 1/2 inches) and the triple

jump (40-7) to make it 15 victories in 16 events in the Eagles’ four

dual meets this season.

The Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week said he began preparing for

track and field immediately after his football season ended last

fall, despite nursing a strained knee ligament sustained while

playing receiver and defensive back for the Eagles.

“I always work hard in sports and I wanted to get better this

season [in track and field],” he said. “There were plenty of things I

had to work on.”

Johnston’s four events create a difficult training regimen, but he

has refined the process in order to decrease the stress on his body

and he relishes the diversity of his competitive challenge.

He hesitated when asked to pick a favorite event.

“It’s hard to pick one, but if I had to, it would be the long

jump,” he said. “I just like getting out there and jumping.”

He believes the long jump and the high hurdles are his best events

and he hopes to not only win league, but advance to the CIF State

meet in at least one.

Those goals, however, are among many from which he draws

motivation. He has also identified Saturday’s Orange County

championships as a meet in which he covets success.

“I think I peaked too early last year,” he said. “I don’t think

that will happen this year.”

Regardless of what happens in the weeks ahead, Johnston said this

will be his final season of organized competition.

“I just decided I’m going to UCLA, so I’ll just concentrate on

school,” he said. “It’s another reason I want to do the best I can

this season.”

As if he needed any more.