July 21, 2000
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Western Kentucky University head track & field coach Dr. Curtiss Long announced the signings of local triplets Candice, Julia and Patrick Johnson to National Letters-of-Intent Friday. The trio -- all recent graduates of Bowling Green High School -- will be eligible to participate for the Hilltoppers in the fall.
Candice was selected the Purples' co-Most Valuable Performer after finishing fourth at last year's state meet in the triple jump with a leap of 34-2? and placing eighth in the finals of the 100-meter dash in a time of 13.25 seconds -- she reached the finals with a clocking of 13.14. She was sixth in the 200-meter dash at the state championships as a junior after posting a time of 22.55 seconds and qualified for the state meet in the 200 meters her sophomore season. Candice is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and participated in the Spanish Club and on the yearbook staff when not on the track.
Julia -- who was selected BGHS's Most Versatile Performer while also sharing Team MVP honors with her sister -- has placed in the shot put at the state championships each of the last three years, finishing second at last season's meet with a distance of 34-11?. She was fourth in the competition as a junior and eighth her sophomore year, and also qualified for the state meet in the discus in 1999. A member of the National Honor Society, she also belongs to FCA and participated in the Spanish Club and on the yearbook staff.
The sisters helped lead the Purples to a third-place finish at the state meet last year, as both were part of the state championship 4x200-meter relay team and the 4x100-meter relay squad that placed fourth. In addition, Julia was part of the 4x400 team that qualified for the championships. They helped lead the 4x100 team to the state title and a second-place finish in the 4x200 meters their junior season, and participated in both events as sophomores when each relay finished third at the state meet. BGHS was seventh as a team in their sophomore and junior years.
Patrick concluded his high school career by winning the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.29 seconds at the state meet. He also placed second in the 200 meters -- running in 22.35 seconds in the preliminary heat and 22.57 in the finals -- and he anchored the 4x100-meter relay team that was third. In addition, he helped the 4x200-meter relay qualify for the meet and ran the lead leg for the 4x400-meter relay team that was a state qualifier in 1998. His performance last spring helped the Purples finish fifth as a team in the competition. A first-team all-state selection and the team's MVP, Patrick is also a member of the FCA and was a part of the yearbook staff at BGHS.
"I'm really excited about the potential of the Johnsons," Dr. Long said. "They have the ability to make an instant impact on our squad this year, and have a bright long-term future on the Hill."
