EVEN ON BAD DAY, JOHNSON FINDS POSITIVE.Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer UCLA's Chelsea Johnson always sits by the pole vault pole vault Track-and-field event consisting of a vault for height over a crossbar with the aid of a long pole. It became a competitive sport in the mid-19th century and was included in the first modern Olympic Games. runway and passes on early heights. For Johnson, 12- and 13-foot pole vaults are child's play child's play n. 1. Something very easy to do. 2. A trivial matter. child's play Noun Informal something that is easy to do Noun 1. . Johnson has the NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association record at 15 feet and a legitimate shot to make the U.S. Olympic team. But while Johnson might be America's young, sparkling new face in the sport, she didn't put on a show this time in UCLA's dual meet Saturday against USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. . Johnson usually enters competitions at 13 feet or higher, but on this day she started at 12-4 and never cleared it. Johnson missed on her first try and grabbed another pole. She missed on the second and again exchanged poles. Same thing on her final attempt. ``I had a feeling I'd have a setback,'' Johnson said. ``With every setback, it makes you refocus Verb 1. refocus - focus once again; The physicist refocused the light beam" focus - cause to converge on or toward a central point; "Focus the light on this image" 2. and you can turn it into a positive thing.'' USC pole vault coach Craig Cooper thought it was positive, too. When Johnson missed her final attempt, Cooper marched over to his pole vaulters and said: ``Girls, you just got promoted.'' Actually, UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX teammate Jacqueline Nguyen was the one who was promoted, as she was the only athlete to clear 12-4. Johnson, the daughter of 1972 Olympian pole vaulter Jan Johnson Jan Johnson (born 11 November,1950) was an American athlete who competed mainly in the pole vault. He graduated from the University of Alabama in 1972, where he holds the school record in the pole vault at 18'1/2". , was experimenting with a nine-stride approach instead of eight. She hadn't even practiced it before Saturday. Obviously, there's some fine-tuning to do. But this is the approach Johnson plans to use in this summer's Olympic Trials. ``At first it looked like a negative thing,'' Johnson said. ``But after I've thought about it, this happens. I couldn't get on a big enough pole. Obviously, I'm running faster, so that's good. I would've liked to have gotten points for the team.'' She should do that in the NCAA Track and Field Championships, a meet she's expected to easily win. On this day, UCLA didn't need her points in winning the meet handily hand·i·ly adv. 1. In an easy manner. 2. In a convenient manner. Adv. 1. handily - in a convenient manner; "the switch was conveniently located" conveniently 2. . The Bruins won't need her next week either, as pole vault coach Anthony Curran probably will have Johnson rest, much to her chagrin. Johnson has been on a whirlwind schedule. ``I think she puts too much pressure on herself,'' Jan Johnson said. `For a long time in high school, the pressure was being her dad's daughter. Now, that's no longer a concern. It's about the pressure she puts on herself because of what she's done so far.'' And it's quite a resume. One she hopes will include a spot on the Olympic team. ``I'm just thinking about my training now because this is what matters for the Olympics,'' Johnson said. ``I'm definitely feeling the pressure. Hopefully, I'll rise to the occasion.'' Jill Painter, (818)713-3615 jill.painter(at)dailynews.com |
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