Adam Janosko believed the sky was the limit when Javon Johnston was a freshman at Shady Side Academy. The super sophomore’s results have sent all thoughts of what is possible into the stratosphere.
Johnston won the PIAA Class 2A title in the triple jump, turning a leap of 45 feet, 9 inches to place first at Shippensburg University. During the season, Johnston set school records in the triple jump (48-8) and long jump (23-4).
Johnston also qualified for states in the long jump and placed third with a leap of 21-10.
The weather this spring prepared Johnston for imperfect conditions at the state meet.
“Each of the three big meets — Baldwin, WPIAL and states — as you know, had awful weather,” Janosko said. “That’s what I love about Javon’s nature. He was still able to compete and come out on top.”
Johnston has been consistently excellent in track and field. Last summer, Johnston won the triple jump in the freshman division and placed third in the long jump. This spring, Johnston also competed in the 1,600-meter relay with Shady Side Academy and nearly helped the Bulldogs set a record.
Johnston also started at quarterback for Shady Side Academy this past football season.
“I love having two-sport athletes, three-sports athletes,” Janosko said. “How well he plays football is a testament to his athleticism. He’s not a one-trick pony. What I’m most proud of with Javon is that he is a nice young man.”
The Bulldogs had a number of school records fall this season. Brennan Kaminski broke a 40-year old school record in the 800. He also teamed up with Boden Moraski, Will Nury and Ben Huang to set the school mark in the 3,200-meter relay.
“We had a really strong sophomore class this year,” Janosko said. “I’m looking forward to what we can build in the future.”
On the girls side, Charlotte Barker placed second at the state championships in the 1,600 run with a time of 10:53.20. Barker and Josie Lenart earned medals in the 3,200 run, placing fourth and eighth, respectively.
Maria Ravotti placed sixth in the high jump with a leap of 6-2. Shady Side Academy’s 3,200 relay team — consisting of Rhyley Bendel, Ella Van Norman, Lenart and Barker — placed fourth.