Lawrence Johnson

Associate Head Women's Track and Field Coach

 

The newly promoted associate head women's coach, Lawrence "Boogie" Johnson, is embarking on his fourth season with the Virginia Tech track and field programs, after joining the Hokie coaching staff in January of 2005. He oversees the sprinters, hurdlers, jumpers, and multi-event athletes for both the men's and women's programs. After just three seasons, Johnson has recruited and signed two of the best sprint and hurdle classes in school history, while bringing a wealth of excitement, enthusiasm, knowledge and leadership to the program. Johnson has developed Tech's women's sprint/hurdle crew into the premiere sprint/hurdle crew in the Atlantic Coast Conference and East Region while establishing Tech's sprint/hurdle program on the national level as well.

In 2007, Johnson guided the Hokie women's sprinters and hurdlers to their best indoor and outdoor seasons in school history, at the same time becoming the first women's team in Virginia Tech's affiliation with the Atlantic Coast Conference to win a team championship. In total, the indoor sprinter/hurdler crew broke a total of nine school records, tallied one Atlantic Coast Conference individual champion, one Atlantic Coast champion runner-up, amassed 10 All-Atlantic Coast Conference performances, and concluded their indoor campaign by garnering three NCAA Indoor All-Americans.

The 2007 outdoor season was truly magical for the Hokie sprinters and hurdlers. The Hokies women's team captured the ACC outdoor championship title four days after the April 16 tragedy. The team was determined to turn the tragedy into triumph for the Hokie Nation, the state of Virginia, and the entire world. With heavy hearts and a renewed sense for the value of life and opportunity, the speedsters displayed one of the most dominating sprint performances in ACC history. Johnson's sprint/hurdlers combined for three individual ACC titles, two ACC runner-up performances, 12 All-ACC performances, and one ACC meet record performance.

Johnson's sprinters continued to enjoy banner success throughout the postseason, starting at the East Regional Outdoor Championship. Kristi Castlin claimed the 100H title, shattering the East Regional meet record. Queen Harrison triumphed to win the women's 400H title and was the runner-up in the women's 100H event behind her teammate Castlin. The women's 4x100m relay team of Sherlenia "Shell" Green, Patrice Potts, Kristi Castlin and Britni Spruill dashed to a second place finish as the women's team captured the overall team title.

Harrison electrified the crowd at the NCAA outdoor track and field championships competing in both the 100H and the 400H, earning All-America status in both events. Castlin finished ninth place in the 100H event to also claim All-America status. Spruill concluded the Hokies success by earning All-America status in the women's 200m dash.

Johnson's Hokie hurdle crew extended its impressive season by competing at the USA track and field national championship collecting two gold medals and one silver medal from the junior division of the championship, and an eighth place finish in the senior division to bring home plenty of hardware to Blacksburg.

Harrison led the medal count for the Hokie hurdlers during the summer of 2007. She won the gold medal in the 400H at the USATF junior championship and was the silver medalist in the 100H earning her way onto the 2007 USA Junior Pan American Championship team.

In Brazil, Harrison blazed the field to capture the gold medal in the 400H and was the silver medalist behind her Hokie teammate Kristi Castlin in the 100H. Harrison 400H gold medal performance also broke the Pan American meet record. Castlin got back to her winning ways by winning gold at the USATF junior championship meet, breaking the meet record in the process. Her victory qualified her for the 2007 USA Junior Pan American Championship team in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Kristi went on to win the gold medal at the Pan American and helped the USA Junior Pan American team to its best performance in the history of the meet.

Sprint captain Shell Green placed eighth at the USATF senior championships to earn a berth onto the USA NACAC team that competed in San Salvador, El Salvador, where Green achieved the bronze medal.

Johnson joined the Hokies after a two-year stint with the Southern Illinois men's and women's teams.

Prior to SIUC, Johnson served as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Arkansas. He assisted with the sprinters, hurdlers, and jumps crew, and was associate head coach Lonnie Green's top assistant throughout the Lady Razorbacks' amazing run to back-to-back SEC Triple Crown Championships.

While earning his degree, Johnson was a member of the well renowned Arkansas men's track and field team. As an athlete, Johnson helped the Hogs to four SEC indoor and outdoor championships and the 1998 NCAA national outdoor championship.

Prior to running with the Hogs, Johnson ran for Long Beach City College, where he was team captain and MVP. He was the 1996 South Coast Conference champion in the 400m, as his team finished runner-up in Southern California. He also earned an associate of arts degree in physical education and recreation from Long Beach City in 1998. In 1995, Johnson was a member of the 1995 Triple Crown National Championship Junior College track and field team at Blinn College. He was also a Texas high school all state finalist in the 400m.

Johnson and his wife Lilly have four children, Desirae La'shae, Lawrence Christopher, Laniah Amerie and Lukas Allen.