Trail Blazer

Full of energy, of novelty, possibility and excitement, the streets of downtown Charleston are invigorating for most students. There’s always something going on, always somewhere new to explore, always someone to stop and talk to. No question about it: Downtown is where it’s at.

Unless you’re Mackenzie Johnston.

For this junior distance runner – who last fall was twice named the Colonial Athletic Association Men’s Cross Country Runner of the Week – the trail is the place to be. At least when it comes to running, this is where he finds his excitement and sense of possibility.

And it’s easy to see why. In September, Johnston broke the College’s 8K record at the Furman Cross Country Classic by 40 seconds; in October, he earned the Cougars a fifth-place team finish at the Mountaineer Open in Boone, N.C.; and, in November, he beat the 10K school record by 50 seconds at the NCAA Regionals in Charlottesville, Va.

“Mackenzie is a student of the sport,” says Jason Bryan, assistant cross country and track coach. “He is always looking for ways to get better – either in running or in the classroom. Look for him to have several school records by the time he is done at the College.”

And, while Johnston definitely hopes to break some more records, the fact is, the business administration major says, “I just like being out there.”

On the trail, that is.

Photo by Mike Ledford