Johnson establishes himself as Agoura High's finest discus thrower

Derek Johnson It was quite a track and field season for Agoura's Derek Johnson.

During a late April duel meet at Moorpark High, Johnson broke the Chargers' school record in the discus with a heave of 181 feet, 9 inches.

He went on to finish the year as the Marmonte League champion in both the discus and shot put, the Ventura County title winner in discus, and Johnson placed sixth in discus at the CIF State Track and Field Championships.

Furthermore, Johnson recently concluded his junior season with a seventh-place finish at the prestigious Golden West Invitational in Northern California.

Johnson's accomplishments in 2006 garnered him the top boys' discus ranking among California high school juniors and placed him in the top 15 nationally, according to the website www.DyeStatCal.com.

"I'm really happy with the results," Johnson said. "I came into the season hoping to throw 190 or 200 (feet) and I pretty much got where I wanted to be. Strength wise, I wish I was a little bit stronger, but that's what I'm going to be working on the entire summer."

Agoura first-year throws coach John Amneus said Johnson's strong performance was the result of hard work in the gym and on the track.

"He's exactly on pace, exactly where we thought he'd be," Amneus said. "He's done everything we've asked of him.

"He's a very unique kid, very gifted," the coach said. "Kids like him don't come along very often. We're lucky to have him."

Because of his slender 6-foot3, 195-pound build, Johnson had to perfect his form in order to stay competitive against throwers that often outweigh him by 30 or 40 pounds.

On most track and field teams, the average boys' discus thrower or shot putter is big and burly like an offensive or defensive lineman in football, Amneus said. Johnson, on the other hand, looks more like a wide receiver than a bruiser in the trenches.

"Most kids are 220 or 225 (pounds)," Amneus said. "But he's technically as good as anybody in the state. His technique is really, really good. And he's fast. So he's fast and technically sound."

While he doesn't have the body mass to assist his throws like others do, Johnson believes his height and 6-foot, 3-inch wingspan has helped him close the competitive gap and surpass the competition on a regular basis.

"Height helps with leverage," he said. "You pretty much drag the discus behind you if you're doing it correctly. You use a lot of legs and a lot of whip, a lot of power going upward. That's where my height helps me."

His father, Mark Johnson, was a four-time U.S. Olympic trials cyclist and Amneus said the younger Johnson has learned from his dad's work ethic. In fact, it's not uncommon for Johnson to wake up at 5 a.m. to begin his workout routine.

"He's a young guy with lots of energy and he want to do a lot of work," Amneus said. "It's great to have to try and slow a kid down rather than have to motivate him all the time."

Johnson said he'll continue to train several days per week during the summer to build more muscle mass for his senior season. Several colleges have already shown an interest in Johnson's skills, and his coach said there's no doubt he'll earn a scholarship.

Johnson's also very pleased with the direction the Agoura track and field program is headed. Head coach Tracy Spencer has brought a new level of excitement to the squad, Johnson said, adding that working with Amneus has been great for all of the Charger throwers.

This past season, AHS throwers won five of the eight Marmonte League championships. In addition to Johnson's titles, Arielle Fersht won girls' varsity championships in the discus and shot put. Kevin Graf was the league's frosh/soph shot put winner.

"The coaches have turned the whole program around," Johnson said. "We're having fun out there. I think we'll have a very good team next year."