Cha'iel Johnson Commits To UK Track
While we don't hardly write any track content on the site - this actually might be the first time we have regarding anything that is non-Sydney McLaughlin related, ever - I felt like this one was a must. Kentucky got a track commitment and her father happens to be someone you already know.
On Wednesday, Cha'iel Johnson, who is ranked in the top-250 in the Women's 400m across the world per WorldAthletics.org, announced her commitment to the Wildcats on her social media platforms.
"My new home," said Johnson. While you may not know her name just yet, you do know the name of the man who drove her to campus for her official visit just last week. Former Cincinnati Bengal, Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson, is the father of the newest Wildcat, Cha'iel.
While not to completely takeaway from her spotlight, I would like to quickly note that her Dad, a man of many personalities, is big into video games and it's been well-known for some time now that UK's e-sport facility is one of the best in the nation. While he hasn't announced anything involving that program at the school, it sure would be cool for it to come to fruition one day. Hell, he's already calling out the locals on the day of his daughters commitment. We must make it happen.
Back to the main topic, the commitment. Congratulations to her and her special day of deciding where she would like take her talents to. I'm glad to know that the University of Kentucky was seen fit as they've had a lot of international success over the last few years and look to not skip a beat between classes. Let's hope she will be the next one to fall in line.
Most track announcements don't make it outside of the track world, but it was nice to have one get the little extra bump due to having a famous parent. I'm sure her first name will be backed by his for her entire collegiate career like we witnessed Jacob Toppin go through with his brother, Obi, but in today's world, that's just how it is. There isn't much you can do to avoid it.
To the Johnson family as a whole, welcome to Lexington. Stay for a while, will ya?