BFS High School Athlete of the Year
OHN GODINA BES HLS.
-_ John Godina 6-4 260: Wyoming Lineman-of-the-Year, Gatorade Wyoming Football Player-of-the-Year, Threw Discus 210-4 and Shot 63-1, Gatorade Regional Track Athlete-of-the-Year. In January of 1988, John Godina began our BFS Cheyenne Central Indians to two consecutive State Championship seasons. Jim McLeod, pronounced Videos and books. “I watched Stefan on Video at least “McCloud”, who has run a class program for ten years twenty times,” John said. He made giant gains as a 15 praised him, “John Godina is a great football player. year old sophomore and by May, John threw the Discus Nobody could stand in against him all year long and 172 feet 5 inches.
That was good enough to win the 4-A when we got in trouble we just ran behind John. He's State Discus Championship and helped his Cheyenne amazing on both offense and defense. John never comes Central High School team win the Wyoming State Track out of the game.” and Field Championship.
John really worked hard on his training program John Godina did not rest on those accomplishments between football and track - the results speak for but continued to make giant progress month after themselves. As a junior, he set the State discus record with a throw of 194 feet nine inches. That throw landed the-Year. John becomes the eleventh recipient of this him Prep All-America Honors in track. The following most prestigious annual award. Selections are based on year as a senior, John improved his discus to 210-4 athletic achievement in sports, the ability to overcome which propelled him to one of the top throwers in obstacles, scholarship, leadership, general character and history.
In addition, John also broke the Wyoming State the ability to put things into their proper perspective. record in the Shot Put with a heave of 63 feet one inch.
John’s Upper LImit efforts throughout his high school These prodigious efforts garnered John Godina the career makes him most deserving of this honor.
Gatorade Regional Track and Field Athlete-of-the-Year.
John was a two-time All-State Lineman, the This Summer John continued throwing with the college Gatorade Regional Football Player-of-the-Year and Teenagers with a throw of over 176 feet.
Lineman-of-the-Year. won the National Championship for (That’s good ATHLETE OF THE YEAR enough to win most college meets)
“Track is fun for me,” exclaimed John. “It’s more internally rewarding than football. I feel natural throwing. I never felt better than when I threw over 210 feet. I went crazy. My training partner, Kevin Walden, went crazy. I was hugging my coaches. It was the greatest high possible. I was smiling for six hours.” John’s father, Bill Godina, coaches football and track at Cheyenne Central and teaches the ROTC program.
Bill Godina has done everything possible to help John reach his potential. to receive special coaching and to compete in national and regional meets. Coach Godina remembered, “As a thrower, John had a good technical foundation but the gains in strength at age 15 were directly responsible for huge gains in the Discus and Shot. (See John’s progress Chart) The elements of success can be attributed to the BFS program done on a with technical training, regular rest, good diet and flexibility training.” The secret was learned and used! John has been on the BFS program for 2 1/2 years. He states, “I’ve saved my BFS Set-Rep Log Books. I’ve got six or seven of them.
It’s fun to look back and see the progressions I made during that time. Everyday I’d break a record. In the off-season, I always made progress everyday. Plus, every once in awhile, you'll make a monumental gain.” John admits that a lot of times it has been hard working with his dad, working with him.
We've spent loads of time together.
We celebrate, have fun, work together and even fight sometimes. We are definitely very close. He’s my father but also he’s a close friend.” On selecting a college and deciding on whether to participate in football, track or both, John’s father said, “Do what you want. | am not going to live with a decision like that 35 years from now he says I made him make.” John was recruited by virtually everyone in football but he revealed, “Track is my first love. I’ve done it since fourth grade. (John’s father bought him a Discus at age ten.) I believe I have to specialize in order to achieve my goals in the Discus.”
Finally, after much soul searching, John found with football that it was time to move on.
Simply put, John wants to become an elite thrower. He chose UCLA. “It was the best school for my career which biomechanics. Besides, UCLA cranks out good throwers and, of course, the weather for throwing is perfect,” reasoned John. “Wyoming’s weather for throwing is bad so UCLA looked good.” Not only was John a good catch athletically, he was a good catch academically. John earned a 3.96 GPA throughout his high school years. John stated, “I did my homework usually before school.
Despite his long arms, John Benches 350 and Towel Benches 370 pounds.
JOHN GODINA BFS H.S. ATHLETE OF THE YEAR come easy. I disciplined myself to make sure everything was done.”
John believes his most important lifts are Cleans and Squats and when asked, “What if your college wanted you to do primarily one set of 8 to 12 reps?” Seriously, John answered, “I'd negotiate. If there were no negotiation, | wouldn’t go there.”
As far as combating peer pressure, John remarked, “People know I don’t drink. So after awhile it was no hassle. I'd sit back and drink water, laugh and havea good time with my close buddies. We’d watch people fall down but by my senior year, I got tired of watching people do that. same values.” The family motto has always been “Don’t Quit.” John Godina has remained ever faithful to that motto.
We thank the Godina family for their Upper Limit Values and wish him the best throughout his future career.
Clean: 310 Proof of John’s 30 inch Vertical Jump Squat: 580 Vertical Jump: 30 St. Long Jump: 9-1 Forty: 4.76 JOHN GODINA’S PROGRESS CHART Age John and his dad Bill Godina accepting congratulations from BFS President Coach Shepard.
From BFS Magazine — November/December 1990. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
