Buccaneers’ stay at the Championship also comes to an end

EUGENE, Ore. (June 8, 2013) – ETSU senior Jason Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa.) tallied a 19^th-place mark of 15.44 meters in the men’s triple jump on Saturday afternoon on the Buccaneers’ final day at the NCAA Division I 2013 Outdoor Track & Field Championship at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

Johnson, who was seeded third in the second of two flights, achieved his 15.44m mark on his first jump. The Philadelphia native was unable to improve his score in his subsequent two jumps in which he committed fouls on both. The one posted score slated Johnson 19^th overall in a field that was 24 deep.

“Jason’s performance today was consistent with his performances all season,” said ETSU Director of Track & Field/Cross Country George Watts. “He was close to his school record so I feel he was somewhat competitive today.”

Though he was unable to reach his personal best mark of 15.48m to hopefully advance to the final, the veteran ultimately ended his ETSU days in style. Leading up to the NCAAs, he was able to accomplish many things this outdoor season to highlight his collegiate career. Notably, Johnson medaled silver at the Atlantic Sun Outdoor Championship in May with his personal and school record 15.48m leap, and gained Second Team All-Conference honors in the event. Largely not expected to advance to the NCAA Championship, the senior prolonged his final ETSU season with 15.40m ninth-place finish at the NCAA East Region Preliminaries two weeks ago to get to this stage.

“Jason needed a big personal best to advance to the final and I applaud him for his work ethic and desire to get better,” said Watts. “I doubt many people gave him a shot to qualify for the NCAA Championship. He definitely exceeded expectations.”

With Johnson’s exit today from the NCAA Championship, the Bucs end their stay in Eugene. Advancing six student-athletes to this point is a major development for the ETSU track & field program and is hopefully a sign of things to come in the future.

“I feel that all six student-athletes handled the pressures of their first NCAA experience well,” said Watts. “We have a goal of qualifying twice as many next year and to get on the scoreboard. Additionally, we set 12 to 13 school records this season and I believe we have raised the bar to new heights for ETSU track & field.”

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