Erica Johnson grew up in North Dakota and started running track at a young age. When her family moved to Rhode Island so her mother could do post-doctoral studies at Brown University, it was a big adjustment for the 8-year-old.

But she quickly found a home again on the track.

And that home has been very, very good to her.

Johnson, a Cranston resident and a senior at Bay View Academy, is preparing for the outdoor track season but still basking in the glow of an incredible winter. Johnson won her fourth consecutive 600-meter championship at the state meet then reached even greater heights when she won the New England championship.

It was a winter to remember.

“I was obviously very happy,” Johnson said. “Winning the 600 four years in a row is awesome. When I was a freshman, it was a really close race and it felt like it was too good to be true. To keep winning was great. Then winning New Englands was even better.”

Johnson, who is committed to Columbia University, went to New Balance Nationals after the New England meet and didn't have as much success, but that was about the only thing that didn't go well this winter. She couldn't have dreamed up a better senior season.

“It's been pretty awesome,” she said.

The journey to it started years ago. Unlike a lot of athletes who grow up playing other sports and gravitate to track in high school, Johnson started running when she was in elementary school. When the family made its move to Rhode Island, her mother, Janell, immediately sought out a track program for her daughter and found the Providence Cobras.

It was a good fit.

“It was a big adjustment moving here, but joining the Cobras was really fun,” Johnson said. “I still have some friends at other schools who I met doing track.”

At Bay View, Johnson burst onto the scene her freshman year. She beat Toll Gate standout Sam Chace – a two-time state champ – by four-hundredths of a second to win the 600 at the state meet.

She didn't expect so much success so early, but she didn't shrink from it. The next year, she did it again, winning by more than three seconds. As a junior, she made it three in a row when she beat La Salle standout McKenzie Meehan by 3.01 seconds.

This season, she was poised for another title and the focus was on taking care of business.

“My coach and I talked about it and basically I didn't want to worry about getting a P.R. It was just about winning,” Johnson said. “That was my main goal.”

She did it. Johnson held off Barrington's Abby Livingston and La Salle's Veronica Hardy to win in 1:34.49. In the process, she made history, becoming just the second Rhode Island girl to win four indoor state titles in the same event.

It was a special moment, but it wasn't the end. The New England meet was held two weeks later, and Johnson was eager to get running. As opposed to states, where she's had a target on her back for three years, she was the hunter at New Englands, having finished second for two straight years.

She got the top prize this time, making a late surge to edge Amy Piccolo of Ursuline Academy in Massachusetts.

“It was more of a strategic race,” Johnson said. “I wanted to go out to the lead but another girl went out fast. The last lap, I made my move.”

Johnson was one of just four Rhode Islanders to win a New England title.

“I got second the last two years,” Johnson said. “Finally winning was awesome.”

Johnson is now turning her attention to outdoor track, where she always has to leave the 600 behind since it's an indoor only event. In outdoor, Johnson runs the 400 and the 800. At last year's state meet, she finished second in the 400 and fourth in the 800. The year before, she won the 400 after finishing second as a freshman.

“I definitely want to keep improving my times,” Johnson said. “I'm a lot stronger than I was so I didn't even know what to expect, but I'm just going to keep working.”

When the outdoor track season is in the books, Johnson will prepare for the next step at Columbia. Initially, she didn't think she wanted to go to school in New York City, but an old rival sparked a change of heart. Chace, the former Toll Gate standout whom Johnson beat her freshman year, is now a sophomore at Columbia and she encouraged Johnson to give it a serious look. She made her pledge soon after.

“I'm so excited,” Johnson said. “Everything has worked out really well.”

It's another new destination, but on the track, Johnson is sure to find a home again.