Brixey and Johnsen Earn All-American Honors at Indoor Track and Field Championships

BIRMINGHAM, ALA. – The Washington State track and field team had a successful stay at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, as both Sam Brixey and Colton Johnsen earned NCAA Indoor All-American honors in their respective events.

Brixey, a graduate student from Boise, Idaho earned NCAA Indoor First Team All-American honors in the 60m hurdles. Brixey finished fifth overall in the event, as he completed the 60m hurdle finals in 7.69 seconds, tying his school-record time in the event. It is the third time that Brixey has earned NCAA Indoor All-American honors in the 60m hurdles in his WSU career. He earned All-American honors in 2020 and 2021.

Brixey qualified for the 60m hurdle final by finishing his preliminary race in 7.69 seconds, a mark which ties the school record with Kip Ngeno (1975). Brixey is the second WSU track and field student-athlete to earn NCAA Indoor All-American honors, as Arend Watkins earned the distinction at the 1999 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Johnsen, a graduate student from Bellingham, Washington, picked up NCAA Indoor Second Team All-American honors in the 3,000m and the mile.

Johnsen opened his weekend in Birmingham by placing 14th in the mile Friday night. His time of 4:03.30 earned him second team All-American honors in the event for the first time in his career. Johnsen then went on to pick up a 14th-place finish in the 3,000m on Saturday. He clocked in at 8:05.62 to pick up his second NCAA Indoor All-American honor in the event. The distance runner ends his WSU indoor career as a four-time All-American, as he earned the distinction twice mile (2022), the 5,000m (2021) and the 3,000m (2021 & 2022). Johnsen also becomes the first WSU track and field student-athlete to earn four indoor All-American honors in their Cougar career since Bernard Lagat (1998 & 1999). 

With Brixey's and Johnsen's performances at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, Washington State now has a total of 12 NCAA Indoor All-Americans since 2019. A total of eight different WSU track and field student-athletes have earned NCAA Indoor Track and Field All-American honors in eight different events since 2019.

The Washington State track and field team opens the 2022 outdoor portion of its season March 18-19 in Tempe, Arizona, as the Cougars will compete at the Baldy Castillo Invitational.

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