Salute to Seniors: Meet Cane Bay's Jayvion Johnson

What was your most memorable race/competition?
My most memorable race throughout high school is probably the 5A state 4x4 from 2021, I got the baton in sixth/seventh on third leg and got us down to fourth so Jaylen Boudreaux could clinch our ring with the amazing fourth leg he had that year.

Out of all your high school accomplishments, which stands out the most?
Getting Region 7-5A athlete of the year honestly meant the most to me because my hard work finally paid off and got recognized as one of the best in the region let alone the state.

If you could do it all over again, what would you change about your athletic career in high school? 
I'd probably change how soon I began noticing what I could be and how serious I took the sport, it wasn't until Covid-19 came and went that I knew I was capable of doing big things and going to college for the sport.

What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
Injuries, injuries, injuries. In the peak of my season last year I pulled my hamstring and got sidelined for a month missing a lot of key meets and losing things I brought in to the season from indoor and leading up to that portion of outdoor, then you face the mental blocks of "am I really okay?" when you come back from the injuries.

What will you miss the most?
My team, at Cane Bay we don't look at the individual aspect, we're all a family and honestly really enjoy our time together whether it's practice, meets, school etc. It's a bond I'll forever cherish and miss.

Do you have any advice for younger athletes?
TRAIN, TRAIN, TRAIN, training is the answer to all, if you don't know, ask your coach there's no such thing as a dumb question when you're trying to learn and perfect your craft as an athlete.

How have your coaches influenced your performances and your life goals?
Coach (Greg) Hall opened up doors for me that I never saw at first, letting me run on Saturdays since seventh grade let me know what competition levels would be like everywhere, giving us chances to go to bigger meets to humble us and show us what we should really strive for. Coach Bailey showed me a new level of belief and changed my entire view on the sport, being an Olympic Gold Medalist she knows what's needed, what it takes and what mindset you should have to be a winner and bringing her in to Cane Bay was honestly the biggest blessing I could've ever received during my high school years.

What kind of impact did your family have on your time as a high school student-athlete? 
It brought us closer, my family was nowhere near familiar with the sport but me doing it brought their attention to it and made them watch it on TV, look up what's going on in other places of the country to see where I match up with people, it was just great to have them on board with my dream and have their support.

What are your college or post-high school plans? I will be running track on scholarship at Appalachian State University pursuing a degree in exercise science.

What do you hope to achieve after high school? 
I want to be an NCAA National Champion, Future Olympian and when track is all said and done I want to start a physical therapy clinic and franchise across the United States helping hundreds of thousands of athletes.

Do you see yourself coaching in the future? Please explain and if so, what level and why? 
I'd love to coach in the future, expanding my knowledge down to athletes who are eager to learn, want to do whatever it takes to be great and reach their goals would be such a huge feeling of happiness for me.

Shout-outs?
Jaylen Boudreaux, my best friend serving our country. Thank you for everything you've done for us at the Bay and honestly giving me more light and passion to keep getting better your work ethic is second to none and you make me better, I miss you bro.

If there is one thing in the world you could do, what would it be and why? 
Take Covid away and get my 2020 season back, it would've changed the game for a lot of 2020 seniors and 2021 juniors in terms of their recruiting.