EUGENE, Ore. (WCIA) – EIU men’s track and field will be represented by a freshman at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Abraham Johnson qualified for nationals in triple jump with a mark of 52-feet, 10 inches.

Johnson, a native of Westmont, Ill. didn’t even compete in track as a sophomore or junior in high school. He returned to the oval, and the jumps, as a senior.

EIU head coach James Gildon saw the raw talent on display at the IHSA state track meet.

“Once I saw him compete I knew that I wanted him to be a Panther,” Gildon said. “I started to kind of have a vision for what I think he can do.”

Johnson, one of just four Ohio Valley Conference athletes competing in nationals for track this year, is faced with the challenge of soaking in a special experience at historic Hayward Field while also not losing sight of the task at hand.

“I just take it as another meet,” Johnson said. “I just feel like I’m going in, I’m going against a whole bunch of other triple jumpers as well. It’s like nothing new. It’s just like conference, just like regionals. Everything’s like the same. It just might be like a bigger name, bigger stage. But at the end of the day, it’s just me jumping.”

“At some point throughout this week we have to break this town to – It’s another track meet,” Gildon said. “It’s you, it’s board, it’s sand… It’s just another meet. So, the noise and the Hayward ‘hype’ and all that, that has to go away so we can keep the main thing the main thing and that’s just jumping far.”

Gildon says he is aware of the excitement that comes with a young freshman performing at such a high level but hasn’t let himself look too far ahead as he tries to stay in the moment.

Johnson competes on Friday, June 13. There are 24 triple-jumpers at nationals, the top nine advance from prelims to finals. Finals are also on Friday.