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Mike Johnson Interview
Mike Johnson enters his 14th season as head men's track and field coach and his 12th year as head women's track and field coach at UW-Whitewater in 2022-23.
During his tenure at the helm of the men's program, the Warhawks have never finished outside of the top five in the highly-competitive Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and have finished among the nation's top 10 at 14 national meets, including at nine of the last 11 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships. In 2015, UW-Whitewater equaled its best-ever finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, placing third while boasting two individual national champions. In 2016, the Warhawks captured four individual national titles at the NCAA Indoor Championships en route to a national runner-up finish, matching the program's highest ever finish at the national indoor meet (2004). In 2017, UW-Whitewater posted its highest finish at a national outdoor meet, placing second behind strong performances from thrower Theron Baumann and sprinter Parker Witt, who was named USTFCCCAÂ Division III Men's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year.
On the women's side, the Warhawks equaled their best finish at an NCAA Indoor Championship meet, where they tied for fifth, and set a program record for the highest finish at an NCAA Outdoor Championship meet, where they placed third, in 2014. Johnson has led the women's program to top 30 finishes at nine NCAA Championships in his 11 years at the helm, including top 10 placements at four national meets.
Johnson has mentored several individual NCAA All-Americans, and the men have won 71Â individual WIAC titles and the women have captured 31Â
individual conference championships during Johnson's tenure.
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In 2008, Johnson became an assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. At UWSP, Johnson coached men’s and women’s sprints, hurdles and jumps as well as cross country. During his tenure, two school records were broken, nine individuals and one relay qualified for the NCAA meet and seven student-athletes garnered All-America accolades. The Pointer men's team finished second in both the WIAC indoor and outdoor championships. The women finished fourth in both. At the 2009 national championships, the Pointer men claimed eighth at the indoor meet and tied for 25th at the outdoor meet.
Johnson graduated in 2006 with a bachelor's in occupational safety and health from UW-Whitewater. He earned his master's in health and human performance from UW-Whitewater in 2008. Johnson is a USATF Level 2 certified track and field coach in sprints and hurdles as well as a member of the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). He is also a clinician for the hurdles at the UW-Whitewater Summer Track & Field Camp and the UW-Whitewater Learn-By-Doing Clinic.
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Johnson and his wife, Rebekah, are the parents of two sons, Matthew and Zachary.
Men's Track and Field                        Â
