Manhattan teen Zoei Johnson has made history by breaking a 28-year-old record and setting others in a monumental showing at the 2026 AAU Junior Olympics.
The AAU Junior Olympics is a nationwide event that hosts thousands of qualifying athletes who compete in various sports. This year, the event was held in Des Moines, Iowa from July 27 through August 8 and hosted 15,000 athletes.
The triple jump record was initially set in 1998 at 12.24 meters. Zoei, 14, beat that record in her fourth attempt at 12.28 meters, and she then beat her own new record at 12.41 meters in her final attempt.
That wasn’t all — she was also named the 2026 AAU Junior Olympic Pentathlon National Champion in her age division, excelling in five different disciplines.
When asked what winning means to her, Johnson said it means making her own name and stepping out from the shadows.
Understandably, her parents, Joi and Zontavius Johnson, are incredibly proud of her accomplishments, but even more so, they’re proud of their daughter for being her.
“Of course, we’re proud of the championships, the records and the medals. But I’m even more proud that Zoei isn’t chasing someone else’s definition of greatness. She has decided what excellence looks like for herself, and she’s willing to work for it,” Joi Johnson said.
Joi said she recently asked Zoei about the pressures and expectations of being as accomplished as she is.
“Her response stopped me — she said, ‘I don’t really worry about the pressure or expectations other people put on me because I already put the pressure to be excellent and successful on myself,’ Joi said.
Her father, Zontavius Johnson, is also an accomplished collegiate coach, and serves as Zoei’s coach.
“From a coaching standpoint, Zoei’s 2026 season was everything you hope to see from an athlete. She competed at an incredibly high level, won championships, broke records, and continued to get better as the season went on,” Zontavius said.
His role as her coach is only one part of his job. He’s also her father.
“But as her dad, what makes me most proud is the young lady she is becoming through all of it. I’ve watched her handle pressure, disappointment, success and expectations with a maturity well beyond her years,” Zontavius said.
“The medals and records are special, but watching my daughter believe in herself, compete fearlessly and enjoy the work it took to get here means even more to me. This season was special, but I truly believe she is only getting started,” he added.
Zoei Johnson began competing when she was 7 and has earned 19 All-American honors, several titles, championships, and awards as a highly accomplished multi-event athlete.
In 2026, Johnson earned 11 national championships, concluding the season as the IESA 100-meter hurdle state champion and record holder, and the ADIDAS indoor middle school national champion in the 60-meter hurdle and long jump events.
The Village of Manhattan recognized Johnson for her incredible athletic accomplishments and presented her with a STAR Award at the August 27 board meeting.
“So, a record that had survived for 28 years was broken twice in one competition by a 14-year-old from Manhattan,” Mayor Mike Adrieansen said.
“Behind those championships, records and medals are seven years of training, countless practices, long competition weekends, sacrifices, victories, disappointments, and lessons in resilience. Zoe’s journey is a reminder that extraordinary moments are often built through years of ordinary days when no one is actually watching,” Adrieansen said.
Joi Johnson echoed that sentiment.
“What we’re seeing now isn’t a young girl suddenly becoming successful. We’re watching a young woman step into her own identity as an athlete,” Joi said.
Zoei made a brief statement thanking the board.
“I would like to say thank you for the award and for the recognition of what I have done and what I have accomplished here in Manhattan and at the Junior Olympics, at state and throughout my 2026 season and to say thank you for this,” Zoei said.
Zoei recently started her freshman year at Lincoln-Way West High School, where she will compete. She is also a member of the Legacy Runners Elite Track Club.