Former Iredell County high school track star talks about next college stop
Janiya Johnson found her new college home.
A former two-time Iredell County Track and Field Athlete of the Year, Johnson signed with Coastal Carolina University.
Janiya Johnson
Johnson
The Virginia Tech transfer said there were multiple reasons for choosing the school in Conway, South Carolina, with the leading being coach Seandell Davis, who was formerly at Lenoir-Rhyne University.
"He's very big on developing athletes," Johnson said. "That would put me in a great place, coaching-wise. Coastal, as a whole, is incredible when it comes to academics. It's near the beach so the weather is perfect for training. They have great facilities and just training partners in general."
In late May, Johnson declared her intention to leave Virginia Tech and entered the NCAA transfer portal.
With Virginia Tech, Johnson placed seventh in the women's 100-meter dash (11.61 seconds) in March during the Hurricane Invitational in Coral Gables, Florida. That was the outdoor season opener for the Hokies.
Janiya Johnson (copy)
Janiya Johnson is seen running a race at Virginia Tech.
She obtained a redshirt designation when hamstring issues curbed the rest of her season.
Virginia Tech's loss figures to be Coastal Carolina's gain.
"Welcome to the beach, Janiya!" the Chanticleers track and field program wrote on its Instagram page.
Janiya Johnson
Former Statesville High track star Janiya Johnson is transferring from Virginia Tech to Coastal Carolina.
Johnson finished her high school career at Statesville High School as a seven-time state champion in indoor and outdoor track. She was also a three-time state runner-up. Johnson holds Statesville records in the girls' 100 meter (11.63 seconds) and 200 (24.02), although she expects those to be challenged by current Greyhounds sprinter Ja'Miyah Smith.
As a college runner, Johnson's best times are 7.45 seconds in the 60 meters, 11.55 in the 100 meters and 24.00 in the 200 meters.
Johnson still has two and a half years of athletic eligibility remaining.
At Coastal Carolina, she joins a women's program that won eight Big South Conference outdoor championships from 2004-2014 before the school entered the Sun Belt Conference in 2016-17.
Highlighted by Melissa Jefferson, the Chanticleers continued to have success since the move.
Jefferson is the most decorated athlete in Coastal Carolina's track and field history. After capturing the NCAA 60-meter dash Indoor National Championship in 2022 she went on to win the 100 meters at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships. She then became an Olympic Gold Medalist, running on Team USA's winning 4x100m relay team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Asked what if she became the next Jefferson, Johnson marveled and said, "That would be great. Big shoes to fill."
"My main goal right now," she continued, "is to be in every competitive conversation, whether it's on the track or off the track. I want my name to be in everything."
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.