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ST. PAUL -- If there's one thing Josh Johanson is sure of, it's that everything happens for a reason. Through his faith, Johanson has used each experience in life to get him to the next point.
As a high school student, the Granada-Huntley-East Chain High School standout set the school high jump record of 6 feet, 5 inches as he marked a runner-up finish at the 2013 Class A state track & field meet.
His prep athletic career led him to Concordia University in St. Paul.
After one year as a high jumper for the Golden Bears, Johanson and his coaches decided Johanson would be a multi-event athlete.
In 2016, the then-sophomore placed seventh in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference outdoor decathlon for a career-best 5,961 points on the literal strength of a personal best 131-foot javelin and 100-7 discus throws.
Balancing 10 events along with academics was the biggest test for Johanson. He quickly learned how to manage his time and commitments efficiently.
"We'd sometimes have practices in the morning, lift in the afternoon, and technical or running stuff later in the evening, so it's two or three practices every day in some cases. It's tough because there's a lot of wear and tear on your body," Johanson said. "Being a student is hard enough, let alone trying to do those two or three practices a day. That was probably one of the hardest transitions for me, but I learned so much through it. The professors and coaches were so helpful in every aspect of that."
His noticeable commitment in and out of his sport allowed him the opportunity to be selected as one of the three NSIC representatives at the 2016 NCAA Leadership Forum.
One of his more prouder moments was being selected as a team captain for the Concordia Golden Bears' track & field team as a junior.
"That showed me that everything that I had been doing in the years prior to that junior year -- as far as leading by example on the track, off the track, participating in extracurricular activities -- meant something, not just to myself, but to others," Johanson said. "They took note of that, and when I was selected as team captain, that drove me to a new level, mentally and physically, because I knew I had to continue to lead all of these new people coming in."
With a high school record under his belt, Johanson hopes to get the Golden Bears' decathlon record before he graduates this year. Colin Goligoski set the record of 6,453 points in 2015, and Johanson was close in the Augustana College Meet of Champions on April 20-21 with 5,790 points, but missed after not competing in the pole vault.
Johanson has one more chance to hit the mark in the NSIC Outdoor Multi-Event Championships on Sunday and Monday in Aberdeen, S.D.
"I plan on getting the school record and ideally getting the mark that would get me to nationals. That's kind of the ultimate goal, but we'll see what happens," he said.
Whatever happens in the meet, Johanson has prepared for it and will enjoy the experience before closing out his time at Concordia. Johanson is ahead of his peers in that won't just be leaving with his bachelor's degree, but also will have his master's degree in kinesiology. Coming in with college credits allowed him to be ahead of the curve.
"I got my undergrad done in three years and I took on my master's to take up that last year of athletic eligibility," he said, adding that he has a job offer on hand in Anoka as a product manager. "That is exactly what I wanted to do as far as being in a leadership position right away in a bigger company, understand how it works and ideally work my way up and maybe someday have a bigger part in that company."
He also has been looking into and wants to compete in triathlons after college.
"My parents have supported me for years. They've been there nonstop and I think it's one of those things where when I'm done competing and when my sister and brother are done, they're going to need something to do. So I figure maybe they can watch me compete in triathlons," Johanson laughed.
Although Johanson admits that the transition from athletics and academics to the proverbial "real world" may be difficult, he hopes to maintain a certain level of consistency and uncertainty in his life.
"That consistency is going to be that job that I go to, that old-school job. The uncertainty is kind of the part that is exciting and nerve-wrecking at the same time," Johanson admitted. "It's what I do outside of work, whether it be doing triathlons, joining different social groups … doing all these different things I've never really got the chance to do. So, I think that's something that's been intriguing me."
No matter what happens, Johanson knows that there will be a purpose for it and lead him to the next step in life.
"Through all the times I've had and all the transitions, the people I've met with, it's happened for a reason," he said. I believe that my faith has really guided me to where I am right now. I couldn't be happier to have such a loving Lord."