Ohio State junior sprinter Tyler Johnson sprints during a race. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State Department of Athletics

Battling a cold, competition and high expectations, Tyler Johnson’s dominant and record-setting performance was born from his intense focus and drive to keep moving forward. 

When Johnson, an Ohio State redshirt junior sprinter, stepped into the SPIRE Institute Feb. 27, he opted to stay calm and be present in the moment. With this philosophy, Johnson was able to steal the moment, as he won the 200-meter race, the 400-meter and the 4-by-400 meter relay in collaboration with his teammates junior Donnie James Jr., senior Tyrese Fajardo and senior Frank Hayes. 

Collecting three victories on the day, it took Johnson only 45.07 seconds, the fastest time in the nation in the 400-meter sprint, to put an exclamation point on his performance. 

“It wasn’t really so much about chasing a time per se, but again just staying focused and knowing that I had to compete in order to win,” Johnson said.

Johnson had some trials to go through before he began his career at Ohio State. The Dayton, Ohio, native began running track when he was in eighth grade, starting off strictly running 100-meter and 200-meter sprinting events until his coach encouraged him to run the 400-meter. 

After high school, he went to Eastern Michigan, but he could not run the first year due to eligibility issues. He was able to participate his sophomore year, but by then, he and his current coach, Ohio State director of track and field Karen Dennis, believed that he should move closer to home. 

“His potential had not been tapped at all at his previous institution, and I felt that he could grow as an athlete and as a person at Ohio State,” Dennis said.

Since being at Ohio State, Johnson has been a two-time all-Big Ten Conference performer, scored in six events at three championships, qualified for NCAA outdoor championships in 2019 and qualified for NCAA indoor championships in 2020.

“He’s never been the type to back down from a challenge at all, whether it’s video games or just straight up running,” Ohio State junior sprinter Kainnan Ramsey said.

As a recent transfer as well, Ramsey sees Johnson as a leader who is always seeking to elevate the team.

“If we’re being too hard-headed or we’re not into the workout, he’ll push us,” Ramsey said.

Despite Johnson’s success reflecting that of his role models, Olympic sprinter Michael Johnson and Ohio State alumnus sprinter Andrew Pierce, he refuses to let it go to his head. 

“There’s always more to be done,” Johnson said. “One can say, ‘OK, you won one Big Ten title, but can you do two?’” 

Johnson will soon be hitting the track at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, March 11.