Senior | UW | Cross country
Hometown: Mukilteo (Kamiak High)
What he did: Won the 8k for the first time in his career while leading the UW men to a first-place finish in the season-opening Sundodger Invitational over the weekend.
What’s next: Both cross country teams will join the UW football team in South Bend, Ind., on the weekend of Oct. 2-4, when the Husky runners will compete in the Notre Dame Invitational.
Two-minute drill
So you got your first varsity win over the weekend. What was it like being in the winner’s circle?
It was pretty exciting. We were all running as a pack, so I wasn’t really thinking about winning until about midway through the race. It was exciting to be up there and have my teammates up there with me.
In cross country, do the winner’s circles include bottles of milk and women in bathing suits?
It’s not quite NASCAR status. There’s no champagne or anything. But I’m a big NASCAR fan.
Champions need a good nickname. We’re thinking Mukilteo Speedway.
People can call me whatever they want. I’ve never really had a nickname (at UW). In high school, they called me Speedy Spady. But I didn’t want people here to know about that. Everybody’s speedy in college, so it’s a little different.
The women’s cross country team won the national title last year. Is this the year for the men’s team?
We’re not really looking at that right now. We’re ranked 24th (in the nation), and we have some really good teams in our region, so we’re just targeting the top 10 right now. But we’ve got some real good, young talent. So as far as the future, the sky’s the limit.
Now that they’re national champs, do you expect any of the women’s cross country runners to sign a book deal?
Honestly, I don’t really think any of them would let the fame go to their head. They’re a pretty tight-knit group, a real close team. I don’t see any of them doing it, honestly.
OK, so whose story would make the best book?
I’d have to go with (junior) Mel Lawrence, because I heard she has a pet skunk. I’ve never met it, but I’ve heard about it.
No plans on meeting the skunk?
None. I heard they smell. But I wouldn’t mind seeing it in a movie or something.
How about you? Now that you’ve got a win under your belt, is a book in your future?
No book deals in the works. I think maybe I have to do a little more damage (in races) first.
What would it be called?
I don’t know. Maybe something like: ‘Tough Guys Finish First.’
And with the money you’d make from it, do you think you would buy a skunk?
I would not, no. I would not buy a skunk. I’d buy a husky, for sure.
— Scott M. Johnson, Herald Writer
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