Santa Rosa High’s Lloyd Johnson had a great prep career for the Panthers but an even better college career.
As a sophomore at Santa Rosa High Johnson ran 50.6 in the 440 yard dash to Petaluma’s sophomore Jose Martinez 50.4.
These two sophomores were the fastest ever for that grade at the time and are still 5th and 6th on the All-Time Sophomore list
Johnson’s 1974 senior year produced even better marks.
In his senior year, 1974, he peaked in the post season against some of the best in the state.
At the North Bay League Finals
In the 880 Johnson ran against two of the top five best half milers this area has ever produced.
Vintage’s Mark Hadley broke the meet record with a 1:54.8 time.
Petaluma’s Dan Aldridge, a junior that year, and took second in 1:55.7 followed by Johnson in 1:57.2.
Johnson came back later in the meet to win the 440 in 49.9 ahead of Vallejo’s Bart Williams 50.1.
Johnson would run the anchor leg on the winning Mile Relay team in 3:24.5.
At the North Coast Section 3A finals Aldridge would surprise with a win in 1:54.0 ahead of Cagle 1:54.3.
Adridge’s time would take 2 seconds off the meet record.
Hadley would take third with Johnson 4th.
Johnson would finish second in the 440 at 49.7 ahead of Cagle’s 49.8.
All in icy rains at the SRJC.
At the North Coast Section MOC 880 finals Johnson was the early pace setter.
Novato’s George Cagle won in 1:52.5 besting Hadley in 1:52.6.
Johnson finished in a tie for fourth in 1:54.6 with Aldridge in 6th.
Johnson would take 6th in the 440 in 49.7.
In the State trials Cagle would make the finals in 1:52.3 with Hadley joining him in 1:53.4.
Johnson would place 19th in 1:54.9.
At the State finals Cagle’s 1:52.8 would finish in 7th with Hadley in 8th at 1:53.4.
Burbank’s John Musich would win 1:51.0 ahead of Upland’s Steve Scott in 1:52.4.
Scott went on to be one of America’s greatest runners as he held the American outdoor mile record (3:47.69) for more than 26 years.
At the conclusion of 1974 season three of the four fastest half milers for the Empire all came from the 1974 season
Boys All-Time 880 yards thru 1974
1:52.6 Mark Hadley, Vintage 1974
1:53.8 Jerry Siebert, Willits 1956
1:54.0 Dan Aldridge, Petaluma 1974
1:54.6 Lloyd Johnson, Santa Rosa 1974
1:54.9 Geoff Ramsey, Montgomery 1973
Boys All-Time 440 yards
47.3 Joe DeDora, Santa Rosa 1971
49.4 Curtis Byrd, Cardinal Newman 1973
48.8 Bart Williams, Vallejo 1975
49.0 Jose Martinez, Petaluma 1974
49.7 Jim Peterson, Santa Rosa 1962
49.7 Charles Keturakat, Santa Rosa 1968
49.7 Lloyd Johnson, Santa Rosa 1974
Johnson is currently 13th on the All-Time 800 prep list and 29th on the All-Time 400 list.
Johnson’s 800 time remained the SRHS school record until Dan Held broke it in 1990 at 1:51.86.
Lloyd Johnson from the 1978 USC Media Guide
400m 46.5 8/16/77
800m 1:46.5 Dagans Nyheter Games, Stockholm, July 4, 1977
1500m 3:49.0 7/7/77
1600m Relay 3:04.50 46.3 split 1st NCAA Championships June 4, 1977
Distance Medley Relay 9:50.6 2/28/75
Today Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. is the visionary CEO and founder of Chief Legal Executive LLC and Black In-House Counsel.
Current Boys All-Time 800 meters
1:49.31* Dan Aldridge, Petaluma #1 1975, 2nd best 1:50.3y
1:51.54 Dave Rodriquez, Montgomery #1 1981
1:51.86 Dan Held, Santa Rosa #1 1990
1:52.13 Mike Perez, Lower Lake #1 2006, 1:55.00
1:52.19* Mark Hadley, Vintage 1974
1:52.36 Marc Spina, Montgomery #2 1986
1:52.36 Dante Hay, Maria Carrillo #1 2014
1:53.21 J.K. Withers, Cardinal Newman #1 2004, 1:54.36
1:53.38* Jerry Siebert, Willits #1 1956
1:53.78* Antoine Shired, Casa Grande #1 1977
1:53.82 Austin Orr, Sonoma Academy #1 2013
1:53.98 Blake McDowall, Montgomery #3 2007, 1:54.83
1:54.18* Lloyd Johnson, Santa Rosa #2 1974
1:54.28 Nick Rauch, Casa Grande #2 2015
1:54.34 Regan Masi, Montgomery #4 2002
800m
1:45.83* Jerry Siebert, ? (Willits ’56) in 1962 1:46.3y
1:46.74* Lloyd Johnson, USC (Santa Rosa ’74) Dagans Nyheter Games, Stockholm, July 4, 1977
1:48.02 Geoff Ramsey, U. of Oklahoma (Montgomery ‘73, SRJC) 1976
1:48.14+ Ron Whitney, Occidental (SRJC coach ’92-), 1963, may have better
1:48.71 Marc Spina, Reebok (Montgomery ’86) Oxy Inv, Eagle Rock 5/10/97
1:49.21* Dan Aldridge, Petaluma (SRJC) 5/24/75
1:49.49 Tim Murphy, UC Irvine (Healdsburg) 4/9/10 Big West Challenge Cup
1:49.81 Bruce Orner, Chico (SRHS ’75) 1982
1:50.40 Craig Johnson, Long Beach State (Cloverdale ’79) 5/14/83 PCAA Championships
1:50.58 Dan Held, SSU (SRHS ?) 1991
1:50.70 Mike Perez, Cal Poly (Lower Lake ’06) Mt Sac Relays 4/07
400m
44.80 Chris Whitlock, Washington St. (Cardinal Newman ’77, SRJC ’80) at Colorado Springs 7/2/83
45.00A Corey Nelson, Nike (Rancho Cotate ‘95, SRJC ’97) at Mexico City 5/3/03
46.38 Curtis Byrd, Cal Poly (Cardinal Newman ’73) 1974
46.65i Herbie Polk, Arizona State (Maria Carrillo ’13) NAU Friday Night Duals 1/13/17
46.74* Lloyd Johnson, USC (Santa Rosa ’74) 46.5 8/16/77 also 47.01
47.13 Gerald Boles, SRJC 1984
47.27* Ron Whitney, Occidental (SRJC coach ’92-) 47.3y
47.27* Joe DeDora, Santa Rosa H.S. (SRJC ’76) 6/5/71 47.3y
47.37* Sherman Miller, Occidental (Napa HS) 1952 47.4y
47.56 Andre Hunter, SRJC 1987
47.84 Jose Martinez, SRJC (Petaluma ’74) 1975
1500m
3:38.70 Dan Aldridge, Sub 4 TC (Petaluma ’75, SRJC ’77) at Sacramento 6/21/81
3:42.74+ Marc Spina, Reebok (Montgomery ’86) VO2 Max, Los Angeles 5/16/98
3:43.04+ Dan Held, Indiana TC (SRHS, SSU) Met Twi 3, Dedham 6/1/96
3:44.54 Mike Stone, SSU 1991
3:47.89 Jordan Kinley, (Maria Carrillo ’02) Princeton 5/14/06
3:47.89 Hugh Dowdy, Colorado (Petaluma ’10) at Payton Jordan Invi. at Stanford 4/29/12
3:48.08 J.K. Withers, Oregon (Cardinal Newman ’04) at Oregon Invitational 4/20/07
3:48.27 Todd Trask, SRJC (Healdsburg ‘87) 1990
3:48.30i Greg Fogg, Alabama (RC ‘79 SRJC ’81) at U. of Indiana 1984
3:49.24+ Lloyd Johnson, USC (Santa Rosa ’74) 7/7/77
3:49.64+ Reesey Byers, Sacramento St. (SRHS ’10) 2012