Pioneer's Johnson Focused on Finish
May 24, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
At 6-foot-1 and a solid 205 pounds, Drake Johnson looks every bit the college running back he’ll become this fall at the University of Michigan.
And amid chasing the MHSAA record for single-season rushing yards this fall, he became a recognizable face as well.
But not long ago, Johnson was known primarily for the elite times he ran during track season. And that allowed the Ann Arbor Pioneer hurdler to have a little extra fun.
A self-admitted jokester, Johnson would get a chuckle before races while watching opponents keep a lookout for him, not realizing he was standing next to them.
“Let’s see who they think I am before the race,” Johnson would say to himself. “And once they figured out who I am, they’d be like, ‘No way! This can’t be Drake.’
“I’d just win the race.”
Now there are few in MHSAA track and field who don't recognize him – or know of the legacy he's about the leave.
Johnson is a two-time MHSAA Division 1 champion in the 110-meter hurdles, and won both that race (14.25) and the 300 hurdles (38.63) at Friday's Division 1 Regional at Saline. He owns the Pioneers’ record in the 110 hurdles of 13.7 seconds, and also will run as part of the 1,600 relay at next weekend’s Division I Final at East Kentwood High.
A Second Half High 5 recipient this week, Johnson has two goals for his final high school meet: Break the all-Finals record in the 110 of 13.6 seconds set by Detroit Central’s Thomas Wilcher in 1982, and win the 300 intermediate hurdles – a race he qualified for last season, but did not advance in past the preliminaries.
Johnson won both hurdles races at last weekend's Regional by more than a second – margins that also have become the norm. After finishing third in the 110 hurdles as a freshman at the 2009 Division 1 Final, Johnson won that race in 2010 by 34 hundredths of a second and last season by 44 hundredths.
His 13.9 Finals qualifying time this spring is the second-fastest among all four divisions. And his best time in high school competition – 13.7 – is faster than them all.
“He’s always had high aspirations to do really well,” said Pioneer coach Don Sleeman, who is finishing his 39th season coaching the Pioneers' boys team. “He’s basically been (this) way from the get-go. I’ve had kids you could see as freshmen would be really good if they developed … but Drake was really good from freshman year on. His talent was pretty obvious.”
And it’s not restricted to hurdles. Johnson would do just fine as a sprinter – for example, he’s beaten Ann Arbor Skyline’s Nathan Hansen, who posted the fifth-fastest Division 1 qualifying time in the 100 of 10.8 seconds. Johnson uses his strength to power through races like he has a ball tucked under his arm, continuously accelerating as others begin to fade.
And the hurdles offer a canvas on which he can create what he describes as his art.
“Everyone has a top speed. It's only one variable -- are you fast, or are you not fast? With hurdles, … it’s a combination of speed and hours of working on technique,” Johnson said. “There's almost that second variable to it, that X factor. A lot of people … can work on technique for hours and hours.
"It’s deeper, but at the time, it’s so incredibly simple. Whoever gets there faster wins the race. Whatever form allows me to finish the fastest, then technically I have better form than you do.”
Johnson has seven entries in the MHSAA football record book, thanks to his incredible numbers in the fall. In 12 games, Johnson ran 344 times for 2,809 yards and 37 touchdowns, and scored 38 times total. His yardage is sixth-most for one season in MHSAA history.
A downfall of his final run through high school track has been the outside expectation that he would post super-fast times in every race – although doing so hasn't always been necessary to win. Sometimes, Johnson focused more on working on nuances, or saving up energy for other events.
But he’s looking forward to one last opportunity to let fly before moving down the road and onto the next level of competition.
“Knowing that it’s my last chance to get the record, I have a sense of urgency almost,” Johnson said. “Also, if I had an actually good start, and a full race, if I run the way I feeI could run it, I’m hoping I could possibly go 13.1 – if I were to run the perfect race.”
Click to read more about Johnson's career aspirations and favorite football runners.
PHOTO: Ann Arbor Pioneer's Drake Johnson won last season's MHSAA Division 1 110 hurdles Final by nearly half a second.
Belleville Boys Follow Davis-Price's Direction to Historic Championship
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
May 31, 2025
KENTWOOD – Three years ago the Belleville athletic department asked Candice Davis-Price whether she was interested in taking a shot at making boys high school track & field history.
It took little time for her to buy into the notion – and then three springs to see it happen.
Davis-Price led Belleville to its first Finals championship in this sport in any division, and also became the first female coach to lead a Michigan boys track team to a Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals title during Saturday's meet at East Kentwood. Belleville finished with 57 points to outdistance runner-up Northville, which finished with 35.
Previously an outstanding multi-sport athlete at Ann Arbor Pioneer, Davis-Price took over the Belleville program three years ago and quickly built a champion by accomplishing everything from collecting superior athletes for the sport to juggling a busy life off the track.
Heading her beliefs is that talent should be pointed toward where it's most likely to succeed.
"I coach athletes and not positions or events," she said. "It's important to identify talent and get guys to believe in whatever they're doing."
But a Finals title? In just three short seasons? Last year the Tigers came within a hair of winning, scoring 38 points to finish behind only Kalamazoo Central (41 points) and Clinton Township Chippewa Valley (39). Davis-Price said that finish both boosted her coaching status with male athletes and proved to them success could be had at the school in boys track – whoever the coach.
"I won't say (success) was expected, but it's become standard," said Davis-Price, a sprinter who won three Finals titles at Ann Arbor Pioneer and also was an outstanding three-year letterwinner in basketball. "Last year was kinda hard to stomach. We learned we had to be able to spread out the points, and we did."
Giving Belleville's chances a huge boost was senior Will (Jaiden) Smith, who turned a good junior season into going out with a bang this year. He won the 110 hurdles (13.35) and 300 hurdles (37.79) and finishing fifth in the 200 dash after a year after finishing fourth in the 110 hurdles, second in the 300 and just missed scoring in the 200. He was seeded first in the 300 and second in the 200 going into this Finals. He was also part of Saturday's winning 1,600 relay (3:15.52).
Smith said the key to making the jump from good to outstanding is not getting caught up in success.
"You can't get used to it because if you get comfortable, you'll fall back," he said. "I know they were going to be tough races, but you've got to push yourself to do better."
Grand Haven was third with 31 points, while Novi and Oak Park both had 28.
Belleville was outstanding in the relays, also winning the 400 (41.85) and 800 (1:26.50).
Among the other winners Saturday was senior Quincy Isaac of Canton, who claimed the long jump (24-11½) for a third-consecutive season. Each championship, Isaac said, featured a different pathway to the medal stand.
"Each year had different expectations, like with the first one I was nervous because I was one of the youngest guys there." he said. "There were still a lot of nerves as a junior and trying to win it twice in a row. This year I knew what I had to do, then I pulled a hamstring at the conference meet and didn't even go to the Regional. I didn't practice, didn't compete and came here with almost nothing."
One performer who did come to the meet with something was East Kentwood junior pole vaulter Reece Emeott. A Finals champ by nine inches last year and the son of Falcons coach Dave Emeott, Reece said there was one major difference between winning the event this year (16-0) as opposed to a year ago.
"This year was more about relief," he said. "We were expected to win, and it happened. Last year there was no pressure, no expectations. I could just jump how I jumped. This year was a huge relief."
The pole vault was particularly rugged this year as five of the top eight vaulters turned in personal bests.
Emeott said he already has designs on next season and a third individual title, but he expects a radically different showing. In the attempt to bolster the Falcons as a whole, he plans on spreading his talent to the long jump, 100-meter dash and maybe even a relay.
"The main goal will be to win a (team) state title," he said. "This is good, but that would be way better."
Samson Gash of Detroit Catholic Central won the 100-meter dash (10.41) after a strong second half to his race.
"I took the lead about halfway through and I like my time for sure," he said. “I knew it would be a fast (event), but there was no worry about times. It is what it is, but it was pretty exciting," he said. "It feels good, but I've got more work to do."
That work, however, may not come in track. He's being recruited by football programs including Illinois, Michigan State, Purdue, West Virginia and Vanderbilt.
"We're talking with the school and family about what we're going to do," he said.
Among other champs were two Walled Lake Central field event performers. Garrod Alexander won the shot (64-1.25), while Giovanni Charles took the high jump (6-8).
Also in field events, Ray Glory Ejoyokah of Birmingham Groves won the discus (179-3).
Other winners were senior Jeremy Dixon of Kalamazoo Central (21.11). A year ago he helped Central to the team championship by winning the 100 and finishing second in the 200 while also assisting on two winning relays.
Rounding out the other Finals champs were Byron Center’s Brady Leyendecker in the 400 (47.96), Wendell Childs of Clarkston in the 800 (1:50.71), Luka Hammond of Grand Haven in the 1,600 (4:09.69) and Beckett Crooks of Ann Arbor Pioneer in the 3,200 (9:00.80).
Northville won the 3,200 relay (7:41.24), and Oak Park the 1,600 (3:15.52).
PHOTOS (Top) Belleville hurdlers Will (Jaiden) Smith, right, and Schmar Gamble approach the finish in the 110 final Saturday. (Middle) Detroit Catholic Central's Samson Gash, right, and Novi's Chance McNeill set the pace in the 100 dash final. (Click for more from Carter Sherline/RunMichigan.com.)