TODD JOHNSON COLLECTS 4 GOLD FOR HAMILTON COLLEGE IN LIBERTY LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS

December3, 2007

Hamilton College's Jamaican senior Todd Johnson had a fantastic weekend in the pool as he collected four gold medals and two silver to help his school to fourth position at the Liberty League Championships held at Union College in New York Nov 30 - Dec 1. Johnson's first gold came via the400 yard medley where he lead off the A team with a backstroke split of 52.97(1:03.44 long course metres) a lead of more than 2 seconds which they built upon to have winning margin of more than 4 seconds to win in 3:35.54. The second gold came again by way of a relay but this time the 200 yard medley where he lead off the relay in 24.71 (29.59) giving them a lead off over a second. They again built on that lead to win the relay in 1:39.70 to win by over two seconds.

Individually he romped home to a two second victory in the100 yard backstroke in 52.98 (1:03.45), an event in which he has the League record of 52.31. Though pressed in the longer 200 yard backstroke, the result was still the same as Johnson won in 1:56.53 (2:17.26). He also holds the League record in this event at 1:55.03.

His silver medals came in the 200 and 400 yard free style relays. In the 200 relay he swam the anchor leg in 22.08 (25.67) but could not prevent Hamilton A being nipped to the wall by Union A 1:28.78 to 1:29.33. In the 400 yard freestyle relay, Johnson swam a third leg split of 48.79 (56.54)to help Hamilton A to a time of 3:16.03 behind Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute A 3:14.56.

Johnson swims for the Michael Wilson led 'Y' Speedos Swim Club locally has the National record for the 50 metre backstoke in the 15-17 age group and collected the silver and bronze medals for the 100 and 200 metre backstroke respectively at his last CARIFTA in 2004.

Results of the Liberty League Championships can be viewed below:

http://www.unionathletics.com/News/mswim/2007/12/1/LL113007.asp?path=mswim&tab <http://www.unionathletics.com/News/mswim/2007/12/1/LL113007.asp?path=mswim&amp;tab> =


Anthony Morrison-Vincent