Since graduating from Bradford Area High School last summer, the grind hasn’t stopped for former Owl soccer and track star Regan Johnson.

Johnson, a current freshman at Slippery Rock, has spent the past few months preparing for her first collegiate track season and with Slippery Rock moving classes to online, Johnson has remained in Bradford where she completes her classes online and trains for track. She also works shifts at Bradford Ecumenical Home.

In addition to her training from home, Johnson traveled to Slippery Rock about once a week during the fall for voluntary workouts and to meet with her coaches, as well as some of her teammates. The team also has Zoom meetings every month.

Johnson is focusing on the sprints and will be running in some of the same events at Slippery Rock she did in high school, which includes the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. Johnson holds the Bradford record in the 100 with a time of 12.45. She also ran the 200, 4×1 relay and participated in the long jump for the Lady Owls.

“I get the workouts from my coach there and I try to do as much as I can from home,” Johnson said. “We did a lot of hills. There are a lot of hills in Slippery Rock, so we did a lot of combinations of those, a lot of strength training, some lifting, just that kind of stuff, just more conditioning to get ready for the season.”

Johnson said her workouts and training have emphasized strength building, nutrition, rest and hydration with her main goals being to get faster and stronger.

Although her high school track days are behind her, her high school coaches have remained vital to her preparation for the next level.

Johnson said she reached out to Bradford girls sprints coach Natalie Marasco for assistance on her workouts. The help and support from both Marasco and Bradford head girls track coach Larry Stillman have paid dividends both on and off the track.

“I’ve given her the workouts that my coaches at Slippery Rock have given me and she’s helped me at home kind of adapt,” Johnson said. “The track is currently not open for the public right now, so we’ve kind of worked around that schedule and she’s been really helpful with that…Coach Stillman has also been very supportive.”

Johnson has also offered her own help and support.

With her soccer playing days over, Johnson said she missed soccer and reached out to Bradford head girls soccer coach, Warren Shaw, about the possibility of being a volunteer during this past fall season, which he agreed to.

During her playing career with the Lady Owls, Johnson scored over 100 goals and helped lead the team to back-to-back District 9 championships. She was also the 2019 Big 30 Girls Soccer Player of the Year

While she couldn’t be at every game and practice due to balancing workouts, classes and work, volunteering gave Johnson a different perspective on the soccer field. Johnson is currently studying integrated marketing communication at Slippery Rock, but her brief experience volunteering for the Lady Owls could serve as the foundation for a future career in coaching.

“(Shaw) thought that was a great addition to the team and I was really excited to do it because I know all the girls. I was normally given the feedback, this time I was giving the feedback,” Johnson said. “Sports has been a very big part of my life for a long time and I can definitely see myself (coaching) in the future.”

As the fall semester nears its end, Johnson is focusing on studying for her final exams and will continue to train through the winter with the PSAC indoor track season cancelled.

One of the things that led to Johnson picking Slippery Rock was the school’s reputable track and field program, which has won 18 women’s PSAC championships under head coach John Papa since 1987.

Johnson is excited to be part of the team and play a role in helping the school win another conference title.

“They’re very talented, so I’m really excited to be a part of that. That’s my goal for the future is to be a part of that (championship) team,” Johnson said. “My biggest passion is running and I’m looking forward to the college competition.”