Going to the movies, hanging out with friends and reading books are a few things people do as hobbies. For LSU All-American senior sprinter Chanice Chase, shopping is at the top of her list.
“I like to go different places to try different foods. I like going to the movies and I like shopping. I love shopping,” Chase said. “I mean that’s pretty much it, just hanging out with my friends.”
While Chase relaxes by shopping with friends, freshman sprinter Kortnei Johnson enjoys playing basketball, which she calls her “second gift.”
Despite their different interests off the track and their many previous accolades, Chase and Johnson look to make names for themselves in 2016.
During her four years at LSU, Chase has become a two-time All-American and All-Southeastern Conference sprinter and hurdler.
In 2015, Chase was a finalist in the 100-meter hurdles for the first time in her collegiate career when she competed at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She accomplished a personal-best with a time of 12.95 and placed sixth in the final at the NCAA Championships.
Chase said her proudest moment as a Tiger was when she finished fifth at the NCAA championships in the 400-meter hurdle event in 2014. She earned All-American honors in the event for the first time in her collegiate career.
Though she will be graduating soon, Chase hopes to go professional and take her career to a new level, but her eyes are set on finishing the year with a bang.
“I have big goals for this year,” Chase said. “As you know it’s Olympic year so I’m hoping to be top in my country like I was in 2014 and make the team. Before that I want to do good at NCAA Championships this year. I want to make both to hurdles finals and finish up better than I’ve ever done before.”
But the All-American isn’t the only Lady Tiger aiming high this season.
Though her hobbies don’t include a love for shopping but instead playing basketball, singing and dancing, Johnson said she is hoping to make a name for herself this year.
Johnson, a native of Italy, Texas, is often shy, but her races speak volumes. During her time at Italy High School, Johnson captured two of the fastest times posted by a high school sprinter in the U.S. for the 2015 outdoor season. She is a three-time Texas Class 2A State Champion and a four-time Texas Class 1A-Division I State Champion.
Looking forward, Johnson hopes to stand where Chase is now in her own LSU career. But this year, both women have their eyes set on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
“I hope to become All-American as a freshman. It’s a big goal of mine, but the number one goal is to go to the SEC championships as well as the Olympic trials that are in July,” Johnson said.
Johnson has already started to put a dent in her LSU career as well.
Johnson took home a personal-best in her debut in the 60-meter dash in Saturday’s Bayou Bengal Invitational. She ran a time of 7.37 seconds to qualify for the final round and competed against several of her teammates in the final round, winning with a time of 7.40 seconds.
Johnson did well for her first time as a Tiger and achieved a personal-best, but she said she saw room for improvement.
“I’m satisfied, but it could have been so much better,” Johnson said. “I hold myself up to high expectations. I could have been so much better, but the times I ran kind of make-up for that. But in the finals I know it’s a lot of things I can improve on, like my start, but coming back and winning the race made me excited. I still have a lot to work on.”

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Emily Brauner

LSU LSU senior Chanice Chase competes within the hurdle event during the Tigers' Track and Field Meet on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2015 in the B. Moore Track & C. Maddox Field House.