Cha’iel Johnson sets new AAU Club Nationals record
By Byler Henry
Cha’iel Johnson is making headlines at the AAU National Club Championships in Orlando, Florida. So far she has already won two events and still has the 400m final left to go on Saturday. She set a new AAU Club Nationals record in the 800m with a time of 2:14.80, winning the competition by almost a full second. She also had a dominant 1500m win with a time of 4:47.92, her first ever 1500m race. In the preliminary round she ran 59.38 in the 400m, the third fastest qualifier behind Olicia Lucas who ran 59.34 and Kylee Bernard with a time of 59.38. However, Cha’iel leads the nation among 12-year-olds with her personal best of 56.48.
Ashton Lindley set the AAU Club Nationals 12-year-old 400m record with a time of 55.76 in 2014, so there is another record that could be broken. Cha’iel also will compete at the USATF Junior Olympics in Kansas and the AAU Junior Olympics in Michigan later this summer. She currently represents Miami Gardens Xpress (MGX) and is coached by Darius Lawshea, who also oversees the development and training of Tyrese Cooper, the national high school record holder for the 300m.
