The Johnson File at Navy (Since 2021-2022)
18 Patriot League Conference Champions
48 Patriot League Medalists (Top Three)
117 Patriot League Championship Point Scorers
9 School Records Broken/Tied
3 Plebe Records Broken/Tied
37 Top 10 Performances List Honorees (Indoor Track & Field)
25 Top 10 Performances List Honorees (Outdoor Track & Field)
3 Patriot League Conference Meet Records Broken
4 Patriot League Championship Major Award Winners
8 NCAA East Regional Qualifiers
15 Patriot League Field Athletes of the Week
9 Patriot League Rookies of the Week
7 NAAA Co-Athletes of the Week
110 IC4A/ ECAC Indoor/ Outdoor Track & Field Qualifiers
Chris Johnson joined the Navy track and field program as an assistant coach in August 2021. Johnson works with Navy’s high-jumpers and multi-event athletes while also assisting the staff with recruiting and other duties as assigned as recruiting coordinator.
2024-25
Navy’s high jumpers and multi-event athletes saw another year of success under the guidance of Johnson, helping the Mids sweep the Army-Navy Indoor and Outdoor Star Meets, along with winning the Men’s Indoor and Outdoor Patriot League Track and Field Championships.
Senior Thomas Christie led the way in the men's multi-events during the indoor season, earning the title of Patriot League Men’s Indoor Heptathlon Champion with a score of 5,117 points. Johnson’s group continued to shine as part of Navy’s fifth-consecutive indoor championship. Justice Hood earned Second-Team All-Patriot League honors with a silver finish in the heptathlon, followed by a third-place performance from Nick Simmons, while Aiden Cartier rounded out the scoring for the Mids. Simmons led the group during the outdoor season with a team-best fourth-place finish in the decathlon (6,843 points). He also recorded the 31st-highest score in the East Region with an impressive 7,066 points at the Navy Spring Invitational.
On the women’s side, Isabella Romasko led the way with a fourth-place finish in the pentathlon (3,337 points) at the Patriot League Indoor Championship. Sarah Perico placed fifth (3,267 points) and Sara McConnell finished seventh (3,149 points), contributing to Navy’s overall team score. Perico paced the Mids in the heptathlon at the Patriot League Outdoor Championship with 4,566 points, while Romasko (sixth place / 4,562 points) and McConnell (seventh place / 4,531 points) also scored for Navy.
Sheldon Ulmer headlined the men’s high jump during the indoor season, finishing second at the league championship with a mark of 2.10m (6’ 10.75”) to earn Second-Team All-Patriot League honors. He also won the event at the Army-Navy Star Meet with a jump of 2.06m (6’ 9”). Ulmer continued his success into the outdoor season, winning his first Patriot League Outdoor Championship with a career-best height of 2.11m (6’ 11”). The high jump remained a critical component of the men’s 11th-consecutive outdoor league title, with Wyatt Shaw placing fifth (2.02m / 6’ 7.5”) and Benjemen Schneider placing seventh (1.94m / 6’ 4.25”). Ulmer dominated the regular season, winning four of five competitions and advanced to the NCAA East First Round, where he placed 14th with a jump of 2.10m (6’ 10.75”).
Johnson’s success in coaching the high jump extended to the women’s side with the emergence of freshman Zoie Tesi. She placed third at the Patriot League Indoor Championship with a mark of 1.65m (5’ 5”). Tesi had a career day at the Army-Navy Star Meet, posting the ninth-best jump in Navy history at 1.71m (5’ 7.25”) to win the event. Her strong performance carried into the spring season, where she earned second place at the league championship with a leap of 1.72m (5’ 7.75”). Tesi also posted a career-best mark of 1.74m (5’ 8.5”), which ranks eighth in school history. She won the high jump with a height of 1.70m (5’ 7”) to help Navy secure its 24th consecutive indoor/outdoor Star Meet victory.
2023-24
Johnson’s multi-event and high-jump athletes once again achieved a high level of success in the Patriot League during the 2023-24 season, helping Navy sweep the Indoor and Outdoor Patriot League Track and Field Championships along with the Army-Navy Indoor and Outdoor Star Meets for the third-straight season.
Senior Annie Taylor won the pentathlon at the Patriot League Indoor Championship (3,648 points) and the heptathlon at the Patriot League Outdoor Championship (4,967 points). Her pentathlon score is the eighth-best in Navy history and her heptathlon score is the fifth-best in Navy history. She also scored points in the DMR and the 60m hurdles at the indoor championship as well as the 100m hurdles and the 400m hurdles at the outdoor championship. Additionally, Taylor recorded the second-best pentathlon score in school history at the Wesley A. Brown Invitational with a mark of 3,813 points to claim Patriot League Field Athlete-of-the-Week honors. She also achieved he third-best heptathlon score in school history at the Navy Spring Invitational with a mark of 5,013 points, making her only the second female in Navy history to score over 5,000 points in the heptathlon. Taylor went on to be awarded the 2024 Vice Admiral Lawrence Sword for Women and the 2023-24 Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year at the conclusion of the school year.
Junior Thomas Christie was the top championship finisher for the men in the multi-events. He placed second in the heptathlon at the Patriot League Indoor Championship (5,072 points) and third in the decathlon at the outdoor championship (6,501 points). Christie also placed in the high jump at the indoor championship and in the pole vault at the outdoor championship. He recorded a season-best heptathlon score of 5,124 points at the Wesley A. Brown Invitational and a season-best decathlon score of 6,549 points at the Navy Spring Invitational. Junior Justice Hood emerged as a key contributor to the men’s team, finishing fifth at the indoor championship (4,797 points) and fourth at the outdoor championship (6,392 points).
Senior Sabrina Sokol, junior Isabella Romasko, and junior Sarah Perico all contributed significantly in the multi-events for the women. Sokol placed second at the Patriot League Indoor Championship in the pentathlon (3,515 points), Romasko placed third (3,406 points), and Perico placed eighth (3,126 points). Romasko also scored in the 60m hurdles at the indoor championship. At the outdoor championship, Perico placed fifth in the heptathlon (4,542 pts.) and scored in the javelin with a mark of 42.62m / 139’10”. Romasko placed sixth in the heptathlon while also scoring in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:02.20. Romasko had a season-best at the Navy Spring Invitational with a mark of 4,676 points.
Senior Hannah Lowenstein cemented her legacy as the most accomplished female high jumper in Navy history during the 2023-24 season. She broke the indoor school record at the Navy Indoor Invitational with a mark of 1.77m / 5’9.75” and was named Patriot League Field Athlete-of-the-Week along with NAAA Co-Athlete of the Week for that performance. She placed fourth at the Patriot League Indoor Championship and finished third at the outdoor championship (1.73m / 5'8"), a mark that is tied for ninth all-time. She also won her second Army-Navy Indoor Star Meet high jump title and her third Army-Navy Outdoor Star meet high jump title. Lowenstein’s mark of 1.76m / 5’9.25” at the Virginia Grand Prix was a season-best that tied her for second all-time and garnered her a Patriot League Field Athlete-of-the-Week honor. That mark ultimately qualified Lowenstein for the NCAA East Preliminary as well.
Highlighting the men’s high jumpers were junior Benjemen Schneider and freshman Sheldon Ulmer. Schneider finished in fourth place at the indoor conference championship (2.03m / 6' 7.75") and second at the outdoor conference championship (2.11m / 6'11"). Schneider had a career performance at the Army-Navy Indoor Star Meet, recording an overall season-best mark of 2.14m / 7'0.25" to be the top Navy finisher in the event. He was also an NCAA East Preliminary qualifier during the outdoor season. Ulmer claimed fifth place at the indoor championship (2.03m / 6'7.75") and third at the outdoor championship (2.05m / 6'8.75"). He had an overall season-best mark of 2.09m / 6’10.25” at the Wesley A. Brown Invitational and was named Patriot League Rookie-of-the-Week four times throughout the course of the school year.
2022-23
Johnson’s multi-event and high-jump athletes dominated the Patriot League during the 2022-23 season, which helped Navy sweep the Indoor and Outdoor Patriot League Track and Field Championships for the second-straight season.
Senior Baynes Autrey won the heptathlon at the Patriot League Indoor Championship (5,495 points) and the decathlon at the Patriot League Outdoor Championship (7,233 points). His decathlon score broke the Patriot League meet record and is the fifth-best in Navy history. Additionally, Autrey recorded the third-best decathlon score in school history at the Navy Spring Invitational II with a score of 7,287 points to claim the Patriot League Field Athlete-of-the-Week nod. Autrey was also named the field athlete of the week following a heptathlon score of 5,474 points at the Wesley A. Brown Invitational. All four of Autrey’s multi-event scores during the 2022-23 season were Navy top-10 scores.
Sophomore Thomas Christie was also a key contributor to the men’s team. He placed sixth in the heptathlon at the indoor championship (4,826 points) and fourth in the decathlon at the outdoor championship (6,311 points). He also recorded a season-best decathlon score of 6,565 points at the Navy Spring Invitational II.
Junior Annie Taylor continued Navy’s dominance in the pentathlon and heptathlon for the women’s team. Taylor scored the sixth-most pentathlon points in Navy history (3,666 points) at the Patriot League Indoor Championship to win the event. At the outdoor championship, she recorded the third-best heptathlon score in Navy history (4,985 points) to finish in first place. Taylor also registered a top-10 heptathlon score (4,825 points) at the Navy Spring Invitational II.
Sophomore Isabella Romasko emerged as one of the top multi-athletes in the conference in her second season. She placed second at the Patriot League Indoor Championship in the pentathlon with the seventh-best score in program history (3,632 points). She competed in her first heptathlon at the Navy Spring Invitational II and posted a season-best score of 4,720 points. At the outdoor championship, she placed second in the heptathlon with a score of 4,693 points.
Junior Hannah Lowenstein was once again one of the top high jumpers in the conference. She placed second at the Patriot League Indoor Championship (1.70m / 5' 7") and repeated as the high jump champion at the outdoor championship (1.76m / 5' 9.25"). Lowenstein’s mark at the conference championship ranked second all-time in Navy history. Lowenstein was also one of Navy’s 14 NCAA East Preliminary qualifiers.
Along with her success in the long jump and triple jump, senior Molly Chapman remained a scoring contributor in the high jump for Navy. She placed fifth at the indoor championship (1.65m / 5' 5") and fourth at the outdoor championship (1.68m / 5' 6"). Chapman was named the women’s field athlete of the meet at both the indoor and outdoor championships.
Highlighting the men’s high jumpers were Preston Wilson and Benjemen Schneider. Wilson finished in second place at the indoor conference championship (2.05m / 6' 8.75") and fifth at the outdoor conference meet (2.01m / 6' 7"). Wilson also earned IC4A All-East honors for placing seventh at the IC4A Championship (1.99m / 6' 6.25"). Schneider claimed fifth place at the indoor championship (2.02m / 6' 7.5") and sixth at the outdoor championship (1.96m / 6' 5"). Schneider had a career performance at the Army-Navy Indoor Star Meet, recording a mark of 2.10m (6' 10.75") to win the event for Navy.
2021-22
Johnson brought immediate success to Navy’s squad in his first indoor season. For the men’s team, Baynes Autrey (Heptathlon) and Cole Bailey (High Jump) earned First Team All-Patriot League honors, and Jacob Jancek (Heptathlon) earned Second Team All-Patriot League honors to help the men’s team capture its 12th Patriot League Indoor Conference Championship in program history.
Autrey posted a program record of 5,510 points at the championships and was named the Patriot League Indoor Field Athlete of the Meet.
Autrey continued his success during the outdoor season, earning First Team All-Patriot League honors in the decathlon. Along with Autrey, Bailey earned Second Team All-Patriot League accolades in the high jump to help secure the men’s eighth-straight Patriot League Outdoor Conference Championship and ninth in program history. Bailey went on to be one of the 10 men’s track and field student-athletes representing the Academy at the 2022 NCAA East Preliminaries in Bloomington, Ind.
For the women’s team, Taylor Buchanan (High Jump) and Erin Higgins (Pentathlon) earned First Team All-Patriot League distinction, and Katie Halbert (Pentathlon) earned Second Team All-Patriot League honors to help the women’s team capture its sixth Patriot League Indoor Conference Championship.
Halbert was named the Patriot League Indoor Track Athlete of the Week (Feb. 8), and Patriot League Indoor Field Athlete of the Week (Jan. 25). High jumper Molly Chapman also earned a Patriot League Indoor Field-Athlete-of-the-Week award (Feb 8.).
During the indoor season, Chapman and Taylor Buchanan tied the school record in the high jump, posting a height of 1.73m (5-08.00). In the pentathlon, Erin Higgins registered a record 3,834 points at the indoor championships and Halbert set a new school record in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.51 seconds.
Halbert only improved in the outdoor season, earning Patriot League Outdoor Women’s Field-Athlete-of the-Meet and Patriot League Outdoor Women’s Highest-Point-Scorer honors. She earned First Team All-Patriot League honors in the 100m hurdles, 4x100m relays, and long jump. She also took home Second Team All-Patriot League honors in the heptathlon.
Navy also earned first team distinction from Chapman (Triple Jump), Higgins (Heptathlon) and Hannah Lowenstein (High Jump). Additionally, Buchanan (High Jump) earned second-team accolades. The combined success of these athletes gave the women their fourth-consecutive conference championship and sixth in program history.
Buchanan and Lowenstein both represented the Academy at the 2022 NCAA East Preliminaries in the high jump.
Of the eight women’s Patriot League weekly awards won by Navy athletes during the 2022 outdoor season, six were won by athletes coached by Johnson. Lowenstein won the Patriot League Field-Athlete- of-the-Week award three times (April 5, April 19, and May 3). Higgins (April 26) and Buchanan (May 3) also claimed the weekly honor. Halbert earned the Patriot League Female Track-Athlete-of-the-Week accolade on April 5.
Halbert posted the school record in the outdoor 100m hurdles, clocking a time of 13.48. She was also part of the 4x100 relay team that set a school record with a time of 45.95 seconds. In the heptathlon, Higgins registered a record 5,395 points and was a member of the 4x400m relay team that tallied a school-record time of 3:44.42. Lowenstein set the school record in the high jump, posting a height of 1.77m (5-09.75).
Tulane
Prior to joining the Navy staff, Johnson worked at Tulane as an assistant coach for three seasons (2018-21). He arrived in New Orleans from Valley City State University in North Dakota where he served as the head coach of cross country and track and field (2015-18).
During his time at Tulane, Johnson worked directly with eight student-athletes who scored points at the AAC Indoor and Outdoor Championships in nine total events, including Migle Muraskaite who won the women’s heptathlon. He also worked directly with Hannah Patrick, who qualified for the 2021 NCAA East Regional in the javelin. Johnson’s athletes broke the Tulane school record in the women’s indoor pentathlon (two times) and women’s outdoor heptathlon (two times).
Following the 2020-21 season, Johnson was named the Tulane University Athletics Green Globe Assistant Coach of the Year. During the 2019-20 campaign, he coached Maren Butler to the third-best overall mark and the second-best by a freshman in program history in the indoor women's shot put.
In his first year at Tulane in 2018-19, Johnson saw huge improvements with multiple athletes he coached. Tom Watson (javelin), Olivia Hicks (high jump), and Jorien Vallien (high jump) all scored at the American Athletic Conference Championship for the first time in their careers. Watson had a personal best javelin throw during the season and just missed out on the podium at the conference championship meet.
Valley City State
During his time with Valley City State, Johnson helped the Vikings’ program grow and boasted 86 All-Conference members, 18 conference champions, two Field Athletes of the Meet, and 37 total Athlete of the Week awards. One of his athletes also earned NAIA National Field Athlete of the Week honors, and 21 of his athletes reached the NAIA National Championship.
At Valley City State, four of Johnson's athletes were named All-Americans and two won national championships. He also contributed to team and individual success in the classroom with his teams winning 13 total Scholar Team Awards and his Vikings being named Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes 15 times.
In his term with the Vikings, 31 different school records and eight different conference records were broken by VCSU student-athletes.
Dickinson College
Before his tenure with Valley City State, Johnson was an assistant coach with Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 2013-14 and 2015. In his time assisting the Red Devils, 26 of his student-athletes earned All-Conference honors, and six won conference championships. He coached the Centennial Conference Rookie of the Year one season and seven Athlete of the Week award winners. He also coached one athlete to an All-American honor and had his student-athletes break seven school records.
University of Mary
Johnson also served as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, from 2011-13.
Collegiate/Post-Collegiate Career
As a two-sport student-athlete at Dickinson College, Johnson played baseball and was a member of the track and field team. He was a track and field team captain as a senior and a three-time Centennial Conference champion as a javelin thrower and jumper. He competed post-collegiately in the javelin and was sponsored by Adidas Garden State Track and Field Elite. He holds personal bests in the javelin of 65.28m (214-2) (IAAF) / 67.06m (220-0) (Overall) . Johnson was inducted into the Dickinson College Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the 2010 track and field team in 2021.
Personal
A native of Yardley, Pennsylvania, Johnson earned his bachelor's degree in history from Dickinson College in 2011 and his Master of Education in college teaching from the University of Mary in 2013.
