Sophomore Jordan Johnsson is putting Palo Alto High School on the sprinting map, taking gold in the seeded 100-meter division at the Arcadia Invitational last Saturday, just weeks after breaking the school record.
Johnsson ran 10.44 seconds at Arcadia Invitational, breaking his personal best of 10.49 and the Paly record he set weeks earlier at the March 21 Saint Francis Invitational. Johnsson is currently ranked 10th nationally and third in California in the 100 meters for the Class of 2028.
According to Johnsson, it was a challenge being the only sophomore in the competition because he felt like he had less experience then the rest of the competitors, but he used it as an opportunity to prove himself.
“It was really nerve-wracking because I knew a lot of those guys had years more experience than me,” Johnsson said. “But it also gave me confidence, knowing I deserved to be there as a sophomore.”
According to Michael Davidson, head coach of the Paly track and field team, it was very gratifying to see Johnsson have success at the event.
“As a coach, I was really excited for him to have a race like that at Arcadia,” Davidson said. “It’s one of the biggest meets on the West Coast and nationally for high school athletes. It helps put his name on the map.”
Paly junior and track and field runner Shanley Davey said Johnsson is helping the team enter and place better at competitive tournaments.
“He [Johnsson] is something special, especially for a sophomore,” Davey said. “He’s definitely changed how we place and helped get us into bigger meets. We definitely couldn’t have gone to Arcadia if it weren’t for him.”
According to Johnsson, he hopes to lower his 100-meter time even further while continuing to build his future in the sport.
“I’m aiming for a 10.39 [second time], that would raise my ranking in the state and the country and fully exceed my goals for the year,” Johnsson said. “I think track could be my ticket into college, and I want to keep building connections with coaches and other athletes.”
Davidson said that Johnsson still has room for improvement and hopes to see him continue to succeed.
“He’s still got a lot left in him,” Davidson said. “There’s a lot of work that can be done, which means there’s much more left in the tank. I can’t wait to see him continue to thrive.”
Davidson said he appreciates the success of Paly’s short-distance runners, as the track and field program has historically specialized in long-distance events.
“We’ve been more distance heavy the past few years, so it’s exciting to see a sprint group performing well,” Davidson said. “It’s fun to see the program becoming more balanced.”
