Team VA Coaches

All Team VA Coaches are USAFT Certified.

Lawrence "LoJo" Johnson

Christina Johnson

Lawrence "LoJo" Johnson

LoJo began pole vaulting in 1989 and since has records on all stages and led the charge to return the US to the international medal podium with two Olympic

appearances including a silver medal performance in Sydney, a world title, 7 US national titles, 4 NCAA titles, six-time conference champion, six-time All-American and seven-time All-SEC selection. He was a three-time SEC All-Academic team member.

LoJo recently resigned from the University of South Carolina to further grow the vault concept he has created, coached and trained. While at USC, during his four seasons at South Carolina, Johnson coached his athletes to two SEC titles, five All-America honors, 17 NCAA qualifiers, an NCAA East Region silver medallist, an SEC Championship silver medallist and five SEC Championship bronze medallists.

LoJo has now directed his focus on coaching athletes to the high school and elite levels as well as providing assistance in the collegiate level. LoJo was always a student to the sport while in college and remain so as his experience progressed. LoJo has learned and trained under some of the greatest track and field coaches in modern times including, Head Coach Doug Brown (UT), Head Coach Bill Webb (UT), Coach Jim Bemiller (UT), Coach Roman Botcharnikov, Coach Vince Anderson (UT), Coach John Smith (UCLA), and a multitude of mentors.

"One of my memorable college coaching experiences was to hear rumours that LoJo was a great pole vaulter, but it doesnt mean he can coach. After my first season, those rumours died quickly. " - LoJo

Club Coaching Accomplishments

Coming Soon

Coaching Accomplishments at USC

2010-2011

In his fourth season at South Carolina, Johnson trained a stellar group of incoming women freshman inlcuding Olsen and Rummans who would trade the freshman records back and forth culminating in a 4th and 6th place finish in the conference with the collegiate record holder.

Shuler saw his first trip ever to the Indoor Nationals and register his first All-American finish. Reitze would led the Gamecocks outdoors barely missing the school record on several occasions even with a short season due to injury.

2009-2010

In his third season at South Carolina in 2009, Johnson has coached his athletes to two SEC titles, three All-America honors, 15 NCAA qualifiers, an NCAA East Region silver medallist, an SEC Championship silver medallist and three SEC Championship bronze medallists.

Johnson's transformation of the pole vault program continued to yield results in 2010 with two SEC champions and two All-America honors. Elliott Haynie became the first double-crown winner in Gamecock history with the indoor and outdoor titles. Johnson's men's pole vaulters earned a record 21 points at the SEC Indoor Championships with a 1-3-3 finish. On the women's side, Vica Shobe set the new school record and earned All-America honors to give the Gamecocks four NCAA qualifiers and two All-Americans on the year.

2008-2009

In his second season at South Carolina in 2009, Johnson coached his men's and women's pole vaulters to seven NCAA Regional bids and a program-best three NCAA Outdoor Championship bids. His vaulters earned two medals at the SEC Championships, and freshman Marvin Reitze became the first Gamecock to earn All-America honors in seven seasons after claiming fourth at outdoor nationals.

During the year, Reitze earned indoor and outdoor SEC All-Freshman team honors and earned SEC bronze medallist honors, while junior Elliott Haynie was the SEC outdoor silver medallist. Both advanced to the NCAA Championships, Haynie finished the season ranked No. 5 in the nation with a school-record jump of 17-10 1/2 and Reitze was also the NCAA East Region silver medallist. On the women's side, Liza Todd earned an NCAA outdoor berth, the first Gamecock since 2006.

2007-2008

In his first season at South Carolina, Coach Johnson guided Liza Todd and Vica Shobe to personal bests indoors while guiding Sallie Gurganus to a seventh place finish at the SEC Outdoor Championships. In just one season at South Carolina, Coach Johnson led the Gamecock women to two of the top three outdoor heights in program history. Gurganus's height of 13-1 1/2 was the second best clearance in South Carolina history and was five inches higher than her previous career best. Todd won the Penn Relays at 12-9, marking the third best clearance in program history. Coach Johnson also guided freshman Matt Shuler to a ninth place finish at the SEC Indoor Championships.

High School Coaching Accomplishments

2006

Coached Brooke Berarducci in the Shot Put. She is the A-AA Shot Put Champion, throwing 40' - 10.25" at Murfreesboro, TN.

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Christina Johnson

Christina Johnson was the Volunteer Assistant Coach at the University of South Carolina assisting the pole vault for three years. 

Christina also assisted in the physical and technical development of high school athletes within the state of South Carolina.  Christina has studied pole vault with LoJo for 12 years both in front and behind the camera during his training sessions.