JOHNNY GRAY
Event: 800 meters
Height: 6-4
Weight: 175
PR: 800m - 1:42.60 AR
(1985)
Born: June 19, 1960, in Los
Angeles, Calif.
Current Residence: Agoura Hills, Calif.
High School: Crenshaw HS, Los
Angeles, '78
Colleges: Santa Monica CC 78-'80
Arizona State 80-81
Coach: Merle McGee
Agent: Joe Douglas
Club: Santa Monica TC
FROM PEPPERDINE SPORTS INFORMATION (copy by Karen Costello)
August 23, 2007
PEPPERDINE CROSS COUNTRY HIRES OLYMPIAN JOHNNY GRAY
MALIBU, Calif. � Johnny Gray, four-time Olympian and the American record-holder in the indoor and outdoor 800 meters, has joined head coach Robert Radnoti as an assistant coach for the Pepperdine men�s and women�s cross country team.
�This is a tremendous opportunity to add an elite athlete, who has competed at the highest level to our coaching staff.� Radnoti said. �Johnny�s championship attitude and extensive knowledge will help bring our program to a higher level. We are ecstatic to have him join us. He knows what it takes to be successful.�
Gray won the Olympic bronze medal in the 1992 Olympics and was a seven-time U.S. Outdoor national champion. He was the 1999 Pan Am Games champion and a three-time Olympic Trials champion. In 1988 and 1985 he was ranked #2 in the world in the 800 meters.
�I�m very excited to be a part of building Pepperdine�s running program and making it number one,� Gray said. �I�ve known this campus for years, I�ve trained on the track and I�ve always thought it was the most beautiful venue. To be asked by Coach Radnoti to coach here is a blessing and a privilege.�
Prior to accepting the position at Pepperdine, Gray has been and will continue to be a personal trainer and conditioning coach for professional and world class athletes. He is currently training Khadebvis Robinson, the 2007 National Outdoor 800 meter Champion. Gray is the CEO for JS & Associates Innovation in Motivation and owner of Neo-tone, a therapeutic athletic clothing line.
He attended Santa Monica Community College from 1978-80 and graduated from Arizona State University in 1981.
Gray joins a staff that includes fellow assistant Karen Costello.
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Full athletic bio follows...
Career Highlights: 1992 Olympic
bronze medalist; 4-time Olympian; 1987, 1999
Pan Am Games champion; 7-time U.S. Outdoor national champion;
3-time
Olympic Trials champion. American
record holder indoors (1:45.00) and
outdoors (1:42.60).From 1984 to
1997, Gray broke 1:45.0 every
season - 14 straight. He
originally went out for track at Crenshaw High
to be a two miler. His high school coach Merle McGee thought
he had
better potential in the 800. McGee retired from coaching last year, but is now
coaching Gray again in 2001.
During his senior year in high school, he improved 15 seconds and won the L.A.
city title. He has three
sons, Johnny III (born 1983) Jared Kyle (1985).
Jaylon K. Gray (1997)
2002 to Present: Personal training and conditioning coach for
professional and world class athletes. CEO for JS &
Associates Innovation In Motivation. Owner of Neo-tone a therapeutic
athletic clothing line.
2001: Millrose Games champ (1:50.40).
2000: 6th in opening round at U.S.
Olympic Trials... 7th at Prefontaine Classic (1:52.42)...12th at adidas
Oregon Track
Classic (1:52.82)...had a strong indoor season, winning two Golden Spike Tour
Events
- the adidas D.C.
Invitational and the U.S. Air Force Millrose Games...placed 3rd at USA
Indoors...
dnf at Pontiac
Grand Prix Invitational ...2000 marked the first time in 18 years that Gray was
not
ranked in the U.S. by Track
& Field News...best of 1:49.10(indoors).
1999: Gold at Pan Am Games ... 4th
at USA Outdoors...ranked #5 in U.S. by T&FN...best of 1:45.38.
1998: Troubled by a series of
minor injuries...won Mt SAC Relays (1:46.15)...2nd in USA Outdoors
(1:45.47)...5th at Goodwill
Games (1:47.02)...ranked #2 in U.S. by T&FN...best of 1:45.47.
1997: 5th in USA Outdoors
(1:45.37)...3rd at Linz (1:44.56)...ranked #5 in U.S. by T&FN...best of
1:44.56.
1996: Won Olympic Trials
(1:44.00)...7th in Olympic Games (1:44.21)...after the Games had surgery to
correct acute
tendinitis of the knee...in recovery, he began lifting weights for the first
time in his
career...ranked #9 in world
(#1 U.S.) by T&FN...best of 1:43.93.
1995: Lost the early part of his
season to anemia...ran season best 1:43.36 to win B race at Zurich's
Weltklasse
GP...ranked #10 in world (#2 U.S.) by T&FN...best of 1:43.36.
1994: Won Rome GP
(1:43.73)...ranked #2 in U.S. by T&FN...best of 1:43.73.
1993: 2nd at USA Outdoors
(1:44.67)...8th in semis at World Champs (1:50.89)... ranked #2 in world
(#1 U.S.) by
T&FN...best of 1:44.03.
1992: Won Olympic Trials (1:42.80)...bronze
at Olympic Games (1:43.97)...ranked #4 in world (#1 U.S.)
by T&FN...
best of 1:42.80.
1991: 3rd in USA Outdoors
(1:44.83)...6th in World Championships (1:45.67)... ranked #9 in world
(#3 U.S.) by
T&FN...best of 1:43.84.
1990: 3rd in USA Outdoors...ranked
#7 in world (#3 U.S.) by T&FN...best of 1:43.72, plus 3:42.43 (1500).
1989: Won USA Outdoors
(1:46.17)...ranked #6 in world (#1 U.S.) by T&FN... best of 1:43.39.
1988: Won Olympic Trials...5th in
Olympic Games (1:44.80)...ranked #2 in world (#1 U.S.) by T&FN...
best of 1:42.65.
1987: Won USA Outdoors
(1:45.15)...won gold at Pan Am Games (1:46.79)...8th in quarterfinals of
World Champs
(1:49.50)...ranked #1 in U.S. by T&FN...best of 1:44.09.
1986: Won USA Indoor 1000y
(2:04.52)...won USA Outdoors (1:44.73)...ranked #3 in world (#1 U.S.)
by T&FN... best of
1:43.46.
1985: Won USA Outdoors
(1:45.01)...ranked #2 in world (#1 U.S.) by T&FN... best of 1:42.60.
1984: 2nd Olympic Trials
(1:43.74)...7th Olympic Games (1:47.89)...ranked #5 in world (#2 U.S.)
by T&FN...best
of 1:42.96, plus 2:17.27 (1000m), 4:07.64 (mile)
1983: 5th in semis of USA
Outdoors...ranked #7 in U.S. by T&FN...best of 1:45.50, plus 46.3 (400).
1982: 2nd in USA Outdoors...ranked
#3 in U.S. by T&FN...best of 1:45.41.
1981: Did not compete due to
injury.
1980: 8th in Olympic Trials...ranked
#10 in U.S. by T&FN...best of 1:47.06.
1979: 4th in USA Juniors...best of
1:49.39. 1978: best of 1:51.1
1977: best of 2:06.0y
T&FN...best of 1:44.56.