Junior Malcolm Johnson Jr is a guy everyone should be watching as he is a serious threat when it comes to the 60m dash at New Balance Indoor Nationals this year. He is the current state leader and ranks US #3 in the 55m dash with his best of 6.26. That time also ranks VA #10 all-time.
Check out Malcolm's Athlete Profile
Malcolm is not an overnight celebrity but has been constantly improving his craft year after year. Given he did enter high school quite fast already but still has been a slow and steady improver.
As a freshman Malcolm ran 6.60 in the 55m dash and finished 4th at VISAA States. He followed that up outdoors with a 10.84 in the pouring rain in outdoor track and not to brag but we said he was a name to watch then. Then as a sophomore he dropped his time down to 6.40 and finished 7th at NBNI. Finally as a junior he has now run 6.26.
If he continues the trend we have seen it would not be out of the question that he runs 6.20 or 6.19 at NBNI where he has historically PR'd. A clocking of 6.20 would rank him fourth all-time in VA and 6.19 would tie him with Noah Lyles for second.
When we predict how athletes are going to do on the big stage at nationals we take a couple things into consideration. The first is how have they done in big meets. For Malcolm that is great. He has won Millrose, VISAA States, and the nation's most competitive meet the VA Showcase as well. Secondly we look at when he historically PR's. For him that is at the biggest meets in the finals.
Both of these facts bode very well for this junior who, with the right race, can keep his undefeated streak going and win him VA's first national sprint title since the Lyles brothers.