Dan Johnson places 13th at NCAA Nationals, makes All-American
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Dan Johnson ’06 |
Complete race results here.
DELAWARE, Ohio — Bates senior Dan Johnson placed 13th at the NCAA Division III men’s cross country championships Saturday at Ohio Wesleyan University, becoming the 12th man to achieve All-American status.
Johnson (Detroit Lakes, Minn.) stayed in the front 25 at the race’s start, and maintained his place among the top 15 after the first mile eventually finishing in 25:54, a half-second behind Wesleyan’s Owen Kiely. Williams College senior Neal Holtschulte won the overall title in 25:13.8, and Wisconsin-La Crosse won the team title. The 8-kilometer course was slippery and hilly, requiring runners even to leap over a creek, and the event was delayed due to frost.
“Dan ran absolutely great. He just kept battling,” said head coach Al Fereshetian. “It’s been such a phenomenal year for him. He’s been so solid, so good, so consistent all season long. There hasn’t been a single blip for him, not even on a training day.”
Johnson showed his continual progress by placing third among New England runners, after finishing fifth at the NESCAC Championships and fourth at the New England Regionals. He registered a tie for the seventh-best finish for a Bates man at nationals, matching Kim Wettlaufer’s performance in 1978.
“Where Dan has come from in four years is pretty amazing,” said Fereshetian. “You never would have seen a 13th-place finish out of him. But he is just a really tough kid. Every time he’s been asked to step up in a big race, he’s come through.”