Where They Are Going — Big 12

Prize Recruit: Christian Johnson (Texas)

by Rich Sands

WITH BESTS of 60-6 and 191-9 Christian Johnson (Buchanan, Clovis) was one of California’s top shot putters and discus throwers this year, but it’s in the hammer where the Texas frosh likely has the most upside. In his first year competing in the event he won the unofficial State title, then went on to hit a PR 227-5 (69.33) with the 12-pound implement at his USATF Junior Olympic regional before placing 2nd at the national finals. He ended the season placed No. 5 on the yearly list.

Now setting in as a collegian, Johnson is preparing to throw all three events for the Longhorns (plus the weight indoors), and is adjusting to a fall training regimen that focuses on increasing his strength and fitness ahead of what should be an intense season. “I believe in [my athletes] being strong and fit as opposed to just obviously being large humans who throw things,” says Texas assistant Zeb Sion, in his second season with the program after guiding Tripp Piperi to the NCAA shot title in June. (Piperi’s brother Patrick, a 66-6 prep putter in ’19, has joined the Longhorn roster, as well.)

They’re also working on bulking up. By mid-November the 5-11 Johnson was tipping the scale at just over 200 pounds, and he’s hoping to reach 215 by the outdoor season. “He’s going to continue getting bigger and get stronger,” Sion says. “His dad and his brother grew a lot at later ages. So that will be interesting to see if he follows that trend. It’ll take time for the implements to not feel so heavy.” Johnson’s father, Zak, was a thrower at USC and older brother McKay, now a redshirt junior at Cal, was 8th in the shot at the NCAA Indoor in March and has a PR of 67-2 (20.47).

Christian was the State runner-up in the discus as a senior, and also scored in the shot. “In high school we were just trying to get my general strength level up and gaining weight,” says Johnson, who is encouraged by his early adjustment to Sion’s routine. “I’m really enjoying the new workouts. We’re doing things like plyometrics, a lot of range of motion exercises for that discus and hammer. I’ve definitely seen some improvements in my technique. My numbers are going up nicely, which should put me in a good place for the season.”

Johnson’s loftiest goals for ’20 are qualifying for the NCAA in the hammer and then making the U.S. team for the World Juniors. Sion sees his new pupil as a potential Big 12 scorer in all three of his events, and believes the hammer is where he could make his mark at the national level. “It’s an advantage that Christian’s training age is pretty young in the hammer,” he says. “How well he threw for one year of training is pretty remarkable. He picked it up quickly and well, and I think his understanding of the event will continue to be a process. You can get away with certain things in high school with the 12-pound hammer that you can’t get away with the 16. The technique becomes even more critical. You can’t just grip it and rip it.”

For his part, Johnson isn’t intimidated by taking a spin with the heavier implements. “The hammer hasn’t been too big of an adjustment,” he says of his early workouts with the larger ball and chain. “My main focus now is to do a lot of drills with the 16. It’s starting to feel pretty light. I just need to clean up the technique a little bit, but the strength will be there in outdoors, so I’m looking forward to that.”