Men's Track and Field Adds Two to Roster
January 06, 2009 | Men's Track and Field
Jan. 6, 2009
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville track and field head coach Ron Mann announced Tuesday the addition of Michael Johnson, Jr. and Jacques Caldwell to the men's track and field team for the 2008-09 season.
Johnson, a Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. native, will have one year of eligibility remaining for the Cards after transferring from UCLA, while Caldwell, a Garland, Texas native, who was a freshman wide receiver on the Cardinals football team will have all four years left.
"We are excited about the addition of two high-caliber athletes in Johnson Jr. and Caldwell to our men's track program," said Mann. "We are optimistic they can make an immediate impact for us."
Johnson, a standout jumper at UCLA, won the 2007 outdoor Pac-10 triple jump crown with a leap of 51-4.75, while placing fourth and third in the same event in 2005 and 2006, respectively. He finished 17th in the triple jump, with a mark of 50-3.50 at the 2006 NCAA Outdoor Championships. In 2005, Johnson placed 10th in the triple jump at the USATF Junior National Championships.
In addition to winning several individual indoor and outdoor event titles, Johnson also excelled in the classroom as a member of the Athletic Director's Honor Roll in 2007.
The addition of Johnson to an already talent-laden group of jumpers in Tone Belt (2007 NCAA Indoor Long Jump Champion), Andre Black (2007 NCAA Indoor Triple Jump Champion), and Rudon Bastian (2008 BIG EAST Indoor Long Jump Champion) gives the Cardinals one of the premier jumps groups in the nation.
 Jacques Caldwell  | |
Caldwell, a high school standout in track & field, was a highly sought after football recruit, eventually choosing U of L over Texas A&M, Kansas State, and TCU.
Named the Dallas/Fort Worth Athlete of the Year in track and field as a sophomore, Caldwell led Garland High School to a second-place team finish at the 2006 UIL 5A Texas State Championships after placing second in the 200-meter run with a time of 21.08, anchoring the 4x100-meter relay team to a second place finish and running the lead leg on the 4x200-meter relay team that took third. Caldwell concluded his sophomore campaign by capturing the 200-meter title at the 2006 Junior Olympics in Baltimore.
As a junior, Caldwell finished seventh in the 200-meter run at the 5A State Championships, while taking silver and bronze as a member of the 4x200 and 4x100-meter relay team, respectively. He owns a personal best of 10.55 in the 100-meter run and 20.90 in the 200-meter run.
U of L continues their indoor track and field season on Saturday, Jan. 10 at the Indiana Open in Bloomington, Ind.
Players Mentioned
