Lowndes Track Athlete Kaniya Johnson Named ITG Next 2021-22 Lowndes High School Athlete of the Year
Kaniya Johnson, a track athlete, has been named the ITG Next 2021-22 Lowndes High School Athlete of the Year, presented by Publix.
Before she moved to Georgia and enrolled at Lowndes, Johnson lived in Florida and then South Carolina. She had always been sports-minded growing up, and running track was her favorite sport. But, she wanted to stay active when track wasn’t in season, so she began to play basketball too.
When she reached middle school, she also reached a decision that paved her way in sports for the rest of her high school career. She dropped basketball after her eighth-grade season to focus exclusively on track, and she hasn’t looked back.
“I’m glad I decided to stick with track only,” she said during a break at a recent photo shoot at our ITG Next studio.
Johnson isn’t the only one glad she decided to focus on track. Her dedication to the sport has not only served her well individually, but this past season, after joining the Lowndes High School girls track team, Johnson helped lift the team to new heights.
With Johnson’s contributions in the 100-meter dash and 200 dash and as part of two relay teams, the Lowndes girls track team won the Region 1-7A title and went on to capture the Class 7A state title as well. Johnson won individual region and state championships in the 100 dash and 200 dash, then was part of the Vikettes’ state title wins in the 4×100 and 4×400 relays.
Johnson said that as she grew up developing her love for track, it wasn’t always clear which events she wanted to focus on, and that would have to come through trial and error.
“In the sixth grade, I began trying out the different events,” Johnson said. “I tried the 100-meter, 200-meter first. And then in the seventh grade, I tried the 400-meter. And then as I went into my freshman year in South Carolina, I tried the long jump and even hurdles.”
During that first year of high school in South Carolina, her coach helped her realize that her strength was in sprinting, so Johnson settled on the 100 dash and 200 dash as her specialty events.
She won her first state championships in high school in South Carolina before coming to Lowndes, where she blossomed this past year as a member of the girls track team. Not only did she win those state titles, but she set the Georgia high school state record in the 100 dash with a time of 11.26 seconds and helped break the state record in the 4×400 relay with a time of 3:43.29. It was also recorded as the second-fastest time in the country.
What’s next for one of the fastest athletes in the country? Does Johnson have Olympic aspirations? The short answer is yes. Her goal is to make the 2024 and 2028 U.S. Olympic teams, and she will participate in the upcoming qualifiers.
In the meantime, Johnson will attend Florida State University on a full scholarship, where she will continue to sharpen her track skills as a member of the Lady Seminoles track squad. She also plans to major in criminology and wants to one day become a civil rights attorney.
That’s a lot to juggle, although the Lowndes graduate’s priorities are crystal clear.
“My education comes first, no doubt about it,” she said with no hesitation.
This young lady has a plan. You probably need to get out of her way.
Congratulations to Kaniya Johnson, the ITG Next 2021-22 Lowndes High School Athlete of the Year, presented by Publix.
