Amaya Johnson Commits to William and Mary for Track

Amaya+Johnson+Commits+to+William+and+Mary+for+Track

Senior Amaya Johnson decides to continue her track career and education at the College of William and Mary this fall

Right on track with her goal of choosing a college before December, senior Amaya Johnson has officially committed to the College of William and Mary for track. William and Mary has a Division 1 women’s track team, and a strong standing in the collegiate community for stellar academics.

Johnson has a reputation on and off the track for being hardworking and consistently motivated, so her track teammates, including senior Emely Melendez, were not surprised that William and Mary was eager to have Johnson join their community.

“She puts her mind into it. When she knows she wants to get something she works for it, and puts all her time into it. You know she’ll dedicate her time to it, unlike other people who are naturally talented, and they lose motivation, she’s naturally talented and she’s dedicated,” said Melendez.

The driven and dedicated atmosphere was one of the things that drew Johnson to William and Mary. “I know that going to a school like [William and Mary], it’s going to be an environment where people are working just as hard as you are, so that’s something I really like,” said Johnson.

William and Mary was not initially a contender on Johnson’s list of schools, but she decided to give it a chance after speaking with the track coach, who was an Olympic trainer and coached Olympic track athletes in the 100 and 200-meter dash. As well as having a strong coaching staff and track program, William and Mary also offers academic opportunities in psychology, which Johnson plans to major in.

After spending time talking with the coach and visiting the school, Johnson realized that William and Mary encompassed everything she wanted in a school. “Out of my entire recruiting process, the one thing I wanted was to go to a school with the best of both worlds. I feel like William and Mary, that’s the best possible case you can get of best of both worlds. It’s a great academic school, and the training I’m going to get from a coach of that caliber is going to be amazing. It definitely offers opportunities from both athletics and academics,” said Johnson.

Johnson’s commitment doesn’t affect her training – she’ll continue to run and race until summer, when she is encouraged to take some time off and rest before college. Until then, Johnson is focused on improving her times and becoming a stronger athlete, just as she always is.