Antelope Valley’s Johnston Commits to Azusa Pacific

Larry Johnston of Antelope Valley College, who won the hammer throw at the state junior college track and field championships in May, has made a verbal commitment to attend Azusa Pacific University.

Johnston, 26, took recruiting trips to Azusa Pacific and Washington State--and was being recruited by Oregon and Washington as well--before deciding on the church-affiliated school.

“The church aspect of the school was my biggest reason for going there,” Johnston said. “I want to get serious about the hammer, but I also need that religious aspect in there. . . . And I’ll still get to keep in contact with Dan (Lange), which is nice.”

Lange, a 1988 NCAA Division II All-American in the hammer throw for Cal State Northridge, helped coach Johnston this season as the 6-foot-1, 243-pound Johnston improved his best from 163 feet to 199-1.

Johnston graduated from Lincoln High in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1983, but did not throw the hammer until last year. He will join an Azusa Pacific men’s track team that has won eight of the past nine NAIA titles.