North Sanpete athlete shines in state, region and nation

SPRING CITY—Sometimes great athletes come from small towns.

Such is the case with 15-year-old Leighton Johansen of Spring City, who is attracting attention in Utah’s track and field community after an impressive freshman season highlighted by a region championship, a state medal and a berth at the National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships.

Johansen, a freshman at North Sanpete High School and the daughter of Jay and Rachel Johansen, began the 2026 season as a finalist in two major high school invitational meets before a serious back injury in late March sidelined her for five weeks.

She returned to competition in early May, shortly after her 15th birthday, and won the Region 13 javelin championship in Castle Dale with a throw of 106 feet, 9 inches. She was the only North Sanpete athlete to win an individual event at the regional meet.

One week later, Johansen competed at the Utah High School Activities Association state track and field championships at Brigham Young University. Entering the meet as the state’s top freshman javelin thrower across all classifications, she finished sixth overall to earn a state medal.

Johansen continued her success during the Junior Olympic summer season, winning the Utah championship in the girls 15-16 javelin division to advance to the Region 11 championships in Pocatello, Idaho. Competing as the youngest athlete in her age group, she placed second against throwers from Idaho and Montana to qualify for the National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships in Norwalk, California.

Although she was disappointed with her performance at the national championships, Johansen said she is determined to return next year and improve while competing in the same age division.

Johansen’s success also carries on a family tradition. Her grandfather, Dan Walker of Spring City, won the Utah state javelin championship in 1980 and introduced her to the event, mentoring her from her earliest days as a thrower.