North Fremont’s Johnston running for more individual, team titles

ASHTON — Blue authorities title trophies are difficult to travel by. Any jock aliases coach who has competed successful Idaho knows nan challenge, nan struggle, and for nan fortunate few, nan exhilaration of proudly hoisting that trophy astatine nan extremity of nan season.

North Fremont runner Corbin Johnston has celebrated a transverse state squad title doubly successful nan past 3 seasons. This twelvemonth he’s competing for a 3rd consecutive individual title.

Pressure aliases motivation?

“As a freshman I didn’t person overmuch unit … now location is that pressure,” Johnston said of his quest for a 3rd consecutive authorities title.

Johnston vanished 3rd astatine authorities his freshman year, but has been unbeatable astatine nan authorities championships since, clocking a personal-best 15:21.3 arsenic a sophomore and breaking 16 minutes again past twelvemonth pinch a 2A title, pinch a clip of 15:52.8. He followed that up pinch a 15:49.3 astatine nan NXR Northwest Regional Championships.

Finishing successful nether 16 minutes successful nan 5K is nan extremity and should support Johnston arsenic nan runner to hit wrong nan 3A classification.

“Definitely focusing connected times,” he said. “Last twelvemonth I collapsed 16 twice, truthful I’m wanting to do that more.”

Johnston’s past 2 races past twelvemonth were sub-16. In past week’s Madison Dash, nan first meet of nan year, he clocked 15:55.9 to decorativeness 2nd to Teton’s Zane Lindquist, who’s vanished 3rd and fifth, respectively, astatine nan past 2 3A authorities meets.

With elder twelvemonth comes much expectations. While talking astir his individual goals and motivation, nan taxable turned to nan Huskies team, which returns its halfway group of runners and should beryllium successful contention for a tally astatine a 2nd consecutive squad title.

“You conscionable person to emotion what you do,” Johnston said. “I’m ace bully friends pinch my teammates, and we each activity difficult to beryllium capable to do good arsenic a team. It’s truthful nosy pinch nan team. It’s a difficult athletics truthful to stock it pinch different group is good.”

There’s besides a heavy family power for Johnston, who’s been moving competitively since 5th grade. Holly Johnston, Corbin’s mother, is nan team’s coach. And his older siblings Asher, Brayleigh and Zack besides ran.

“It ever gave maine thing to scope for,” Corbin said of nan family competition. … “I ever had nan information to do nan champion I tin because my mom’s there, but besides for myself. I want to push myself to beryllium nan best.”

And conscionable for illustration that, it’s elder play and nan tally for different title is underway.

“It doesn’t really consciousness existent to beryllium a senior,” Johnston said. “The years person gone by truthful fast. It’s been ace nosy but it’s sad to deliberation precocious schoolhouse is almost over. I’m conscionable excited for nan season.”