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THOMAS RANSON/LVNphotos Fallon graduate Johanna Stevens clears the bar at 5-foot-5 at the recent Bill Cosby indoor track meet in Reno. The Wolf Pack sophomore finished ninth at the WAC championships last weekend.
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ENLARGE
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Johanna Stevens, left, discusses her performance with head coach Shantel Twiggs, center, and assistant Kirk Elias.
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With one year under her belt, Nevada track star Johanna Stevens is getting closer to being one of the top high jumpers in the Western Athletic Conference.
"We still have some small technical things we got to work on and just calm her down," Nevada head coach Shantel Twiggs said of the 2004 Fallon grad. "Once we tweak those little things, she's going to really soar over the bar."
The Wolf Pack sophomore set a personal best jump at 5-feet-5 in January and took ninth at last weekend's WAC Indoor Championships jumping at 5-3.25. Stevens missed earning points for her team by one spot.
"It's hard to be so close and not make it," Stevens said, "but I'm nowhere near giving up."
Stevens said working during the off-season might help reach her goal of 5-8 in the outdoor season, which begins later this month.
"I trained this year. I actually ran over summer break, more than before," Stevens said. "I did workouts on my own this summer. Winter break, I ran in the rain. I was on top of that."
Twiggs said Stevens is getting closer to peaking and hopes for her to achieve the school record in her remaining two years.
"We still have some small technical things we got to work on and just calm her down," Nevada head coach Shantel Twiggs said of the 2004 Fallon grad. "Once we tweak those little things, she's going to really soar over the bar."
The Wolf Pack sophomore set a personal best jump at 5-feet-5 in January and took ninth at last weekend's WAC Indoor Championships jumping at 5-3.25. Stevens missed earning points for her team by one spot.
"It's hard to be so close and not make it," Stevens said, "but I'm nowhere near giving up."
Stevens said working during the off-season might help reach her goal of 5-8 in the outdoor season, which begins later this month.
"I trained this year. I actually ran over summer break, more than before," Stevens said. "I did workouts on my own this summer. Winter break, I ran in the rain. I was on top of that."
Twiggs said Stevens is getting closer to peaking and hopes for her to achieve the school record in her remaining two years.
"Her approach has really smoothed out. She's starting to put it together," Twiggs said. "I want her to go after that school record. I think we have the personnel to do that, anything's possible. She's really committed to athletics and the classroom. She's open and willing to do that."
Amanda Boyce, Stevens' teammate who took third at the WAC Indoor Championships with a personal best 5-6.5, said the competition tends to feed on both of them.
"We're together all the time. We practice together. Last semester, we lifted together everyday," Boyce said. "Obliviously we're competing against each other. We help each other with technical things and emotional things. We just try to work as teammates as much as possible."
Stevens said she enjoys working with Boyce during practice and at the meets.
"She's good to practice with. In practice we're pretty even," Stevens said. "We have different styles. She's not even gotten as high as she was in high school (which was 5-8)."
Practices and actual meets have shown two different jumpers in Stevens.
In meets, Stevens averages around the 5-2 mark, but in practice, she has soared higher and even cleared 6 feet.
Amanda Boyce, Stevens' teammate who took third at the WAC Indoor Championships with a personal best 5-6.5, said the competition tends to feed on both of them.
"We're together all the time. We practice together. Last semester, we lifted together everyday," Boyce said. "Obliviously we're competing against each other. We help each other with technical things and emotional things. We just try to work as teammates as much as possible."
Stevens said she enjoys working with Boyce during practice and at the meets.
"She's good to practice with. In practice we're pretty even," Stevens said. "We have different styles. She's not even gotten as high as she was in high school (which was 5-8)."
Practices and actual meets have shown two different jumpers in Stevens.
In meets, Stevens averages around the 5-2 mark, but in practice, she has soared higher and even cleared 6 feet.
"In practice, she's done really well," said Johanna's mother, Elaine. "She is an inspiration to the family. She works so hard and everybody's proud of her.
"She's just strong and she's a powerhouse. She's devoted her life schedule to being fit. She understood what to do physically to get over the bar."
Elaine said her daughter needs to stay relax and carry on her positive attitude.
"We tell her every time to just relax and smile," Elaine added. "She just needs to be confident, relax and fly. If she's got a big smile on, she'll clear it (bar) fine."
With advancing to the collegiate level in sports, Elaine said it encourages high school athletes to see that one of their own is continuing the sport.
"I would hope it would be an encouragement," Elaine said. "It seems people need local examples to be inspired."
Fallon track co-coach Paul Orong said Stevens' desire and hard work helped her tremendously in high school.
"The great part of a girl like Johanna is she had the desire and the grades to go out to the next level," Orong said. "I knew she would be going to college and doing well. She's a great kid and I've known her for a long time."
"She's just strong and she's a powerhouse. She's devoted her life schedule to being fit. She understood what to do physically to get over the bar."
Elaine said her daughter needs to stay relax and carry on her positive attitude.
"We tell her every time to just relax and smile," Elaine added. "She just needs to be confident, relax and fly. If she's got a big smile on, she'll clear it (bar) fine."
With advancing to the collegiate level in sports, Elaine said it encourages high school athletes to see that one of their own is continuing the sport.
"I would hope it would be an encouragement," Elaine said. "It seems people need local examples to be inspired."
Fallon track co-coach Paul Orong said Stevens' desire and hard work helped her tremendously in high school.
"The great part of a girl like Johanna is she had the desire and the grades to go out to the next level," Orong said. "I knew she would be going to college and doing well. She's a great kid and I've known her for a long time."
Orong said Stevens peaked during her senior year with the ad dition of coach Rachael Lewis (Sorensen) in 2004.
"She turned the corner when we had Rachael come in and work on her," Orong said. "I've been pretty fortunate. I've got to coach Aarik (Wilson, who was an All-American at Indiana), Rachael and Johanna. It shows all the kids that they can do it here in Fallon."
Twiggs said Boyce and Stevens are supportive of each other which is a necessity in sports.
"When one clears it, the other one wants to clear. They're real supportive of each other," Twigs said. "When one has a really good day and you have an off day, having your teammates still turn to you and be supportive is most definitely a big thing."
According to Johanna, Twiggs pushes her during practice and meets.
"She seems to care a lot more. She really pushes me. She's not mean," Johanna said of her second-year coach at the Bill Cosby Invitational on Feb. 4. "I seriously thought she was going to chew my head off today (af ter failing to clear 5-2)."
Boyce enjoys Stevens' energetic attitude and has seen an improvement from Stevens since last year.
"She's very encouraging. She's usually excited about everything," Boyce said. "She's doing really well at the high jump now, a lot better than last year. She's coming along really well and I like having her as a teammate. She's good competition and practice. It's good to have someone that's right there pushing you and trying to get you better."
"She turned the corner when we had Rachael come in and work on her," Orong said. "I've been pretty fortunate. I've got to coach Aarik (Wilson, who was an All-American at Indiana), Rachael and Johanna. It shows all the kids that they can do it here in Fallon."
Twiggs said Boyce and Stevens are supportive of each other which is a necessity in sports.
"When one clears it, the other one wants to clear. They're real supportive of each other," Twigs said. "When one has a really good day and you have an off day, having your teammates still turn to you and be supportive is most definitely a big thing."
According to Johanna, Twiggs pushes her during practice and meets.
"She seems to care a lot more. She really pushes me. She's not mean," Johanna said of her second-year coach at the Bill Cosby Invitational on Feb. 4. "I seriously thought she was going to chew my head off today (af ter failing to clear 5-2)."
Boyce enjoys Stevens' energetic attitude and has seen an improvement from Stevens since last year.
"She's very encouraging. She's usually excited about everything," Boyce said. "She's doing really well at the high jump now, a lot better than last year. She's coming along really well and I like having her as a teammate. She's good competition and practice. It's good to have someone that's right there pushing you and trying to get you better."
Stevens said her family is supportive, especially since the indoor meets were at the Reno Livestock Events Center, only an hour away from Fallon.
"It's huge," Johanna said about the support. "I'm surprised my mom's coming. Josh (her younger brother) actually rolled out of bed to get out here too."
Stefanie Stevens, who's stationed with the army in Seattle, saw her sister compete last month at the Husky Invitational at the University of Washington. Johan na also has a younger sister, Melissa.
"Stevie seeing me in Seattle was cool. It was the first time she came to see me jump," Johanna said. "I hadn't seen her since summer when I drove up there. I love that she came to support me. I loved to go see her and josh swim in high school."
Elaine said it would be impossible to see her daughter compete if she was attending a different school.
"I wouldn't be able to see her if she wasn't there," Elaine said. "We didn't miss many of her events even in high school. It's nice to see her on the college level."
After obtaining her degree in health ecology, Stevens has a couple of career options.
"Air force is a strong possibility or becoming an orthodontist," Stevens said.
"It's huge," Johanna said about the support. "I'm surprised my mom's coming. Josh (her younger brother) actually rolled out of bed to get out here too."
Stefanie Stevens, who's stationed with the army in Seattle, saw her sister compete last month at the Husky Invitational at the University of Washington. Johan na also has a younger sister, Melissa.
"Stevie seeing me in Seattle was cool. It was the first time she came to see me jump," Johanna said. "I hadn't seen her since summer when I drove up there. I love that she came to support me. I loved to go see her and josh swim in high school."
Elaine said it would be impossible to see her daughter compete if she was attending a different school.
"I wouldn't be able to see her if she wasn't there," Elaine said. "We didn't miss many of her events even in high school. It's nice to see her on the college level."
After obtaining her degree in health ecology, Stevens has a couple of career options.
"Air force is a strong possibility or becoming an orthodontist," Stevens said.
