Cross Country Q&A: Kyle Johnson

While many sophomores are abroad, Kyle Johnson is spending this year making waves with the Pepperdine cross country and track teams. We talked about his success so far this season, his goals for the team and what year two in Malibu is like:

Q: You've run three very good meets to start the season. How will those meets affect you and your training throughout the season?

A: We mostly train through the first three so doing as well as we did was kind of a surprise. Now, we're tapering off and doing a little bit of lighter training. This next race, we're going to look to really improve and show everyone where we're really at. We've been racing kind of tired lately, so I expect a big jump the next three races.

Q: The men's team is ranked #13 in the West Region. How does it feel to have earned that placement?

A: Our coach said it's the first time we've ever been ranked, which is cool. From all the progress and the hard work I've seen from the guys, I completely believe that we can continue this and I think we're closer to top 10 in the region. It's a tough region, but I'm really excited for it.

Q: You were the top finishing Wave at the Capital Cross Challenge this past weekend. What is it like being at the top of the leaderboard?

A: It's interesting because I believe in myself more than I admit to; it's good to be humble. It's all about believing in yourself and believing you should be there. I always thought "I should be here," and actually getting to that point is a good payoff for all the hard work. I also see how far I still need to go.

Q: You are hitting amazing milestones in your college career, such as being #4 all-time in the men's 8K at Pepperdine. What do you attribute to the success you've earned this season?

A: This season is probably due to the accountability from my teammates this summer. We have this app where we log our runs on over the summer. Seeing all the other guys doing hard workouts and all their mileage helped me feel like I needed to catch up to them and do more. I'd say the accountability of having teammates who check me and make sure I'm doing my stuff.

Q: This season has been pretty successful so far. How do you think the team will perform at the WCC and NCAA West Region meets later this fall?

A: I think WCC is still up in the air; we're gunning for San Francisco. They were pretty high in the region last year, maybe third or fourth. I think if we're fourth or fifth, this season will have been a success. For regionals, I think we can be top 10. I believe top seven went to nationals, so that's within the margin of error in case people have bad races. Maybe we can sneak in there, but I'd say top 10 at regionals.

Q: As a sophomore on the team, how has the team gotten stronger over the past two years?

A: From what I've seen, it's the closest-knit team I've ever been on and that I've ever seen. All 14 of us are always together and we're always talking on group chats. It really attributes to us being able to be real with each other if there's an issue with training or in our personal lives. It's like a family, a brotherhood, which helps out a lot.

Q: Many sophomores are currently abroad, but you decided to commit to being a student-athlete and stay in Malibu. What's it like being a sophomore when so much of your class is abroad, and how has the team filled in for that community?

A: It's interesting. It sucks seeing all your friends' social media and having them be gone, but it does allow you to meet new people. All of a sudden, when they come back, there's this vast community of people that don't know each other and you get to combine them. The fact that the team's very close knit fills the void that I think a lot of other sophomores feel. I'm with all of them all the time, so my family's still kind of here.

Q: What does an average day in your life look like?

A: It depends on the week, but it's either super busy or not. It'll usually go to practice, then I don't have class until the afternoon, which is nice. I'll eat, take care of some homework or studying in between class, and then go to class. If I have a second run that day, then I'll do that and grab dinner. After that, I'll either relax or do homework until I go to bed. There's not a whole lot of down time.

Players Mentioned

Kyle Johnson

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