The Advance

Issue date: 11/17/06 Section: Sports

In the first years of his life, Wayne Johnson's parents had a feeling that he would be an athlete.

Wayne was born in Glendale, Calif., on March 5, 1983. This year is his senior year of college at Kansas Wesleyan University, and he has been playing soccer for most of his life; however, Wayne has only been playing goalkeeper since his junior year in high school.

Standing at six feet-two inches, and weighing 175 pounds, Johnson is not too intimidating. He is goofy and loves to have a good time. But when he is on the soccer field, in front of the goal, he turns into a completely different person, focused and determined to help his team win.

Johnson started his college career at College of the Canyons, in Canyon Country, Calif. This is where he started his dominance in the goal and on the soccer field. In his sophomore year, Johnson received Second Team All Conference at COC. After two great years at junior college, he thought it was time to increase his game even more.

Johnson was recruited by coach, Mike Dibbini along with many others from California and Arizona. Assistant Coach Trent Frederick, said, "I played here in 2004, and we needed to try something different last year; west coast style soccer was the perfect fit for our program."

Johnson began attending Kansas Wesleyan University in the fall of 2005. In his junior year of soccer, he received First Team All Conference and was elected Goalkeeper of the Year. Following, in his senior year, Wayne received First Team All Conference, Goalkeeper of the Year, both for the second year in a row, and also in his senior year he was elected Defensive Player of the Year. Also, last year, an article about Wayne and a photo were published in Sports Illustrated about his life and the achievements he has made.

Johnson explained his most memorable moment of playing soccer at KWU each year, "My most memorable moment is when we beat McPherson for the conference championship my junior year." He said, "That was the most exciting and intense game I have ever played in." Wayne also enjoyed, very much, the moment Coach Dibbini handed out the championship rings. "The metal was so cold and heavy, but it felt so perfect on my finger," he said. " My senior year was of equal excitement, but we didn't get rings this year," Wayne said. "My most memorable moment in my senior year was when we beat McPherson in the region tournament in a Penalty Shootout."

The game started out very intense and continued to be as the game went on. It was tied two to two at the end of regulation and the two overtimes. "I was nervous before the shootout started, but very focused. I just knew I had to do my best," Wayne said.
Kansas Wesleyan University Men's Soccer ended up winning in the shootout, 3-2. Wayne saved two of McPherson's shots and one was hit over the cross-bar.

"Both times that the ball hit my hands, my heart began to race even faster," he said. "Right when I saved the first shot, I knew we were going to win."

Wayne Johnson's two years of soccer at KWU were not only full of memories, but full of excitement and fun.

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