University of Minnesota Athletics
Shani Marks Johnson - M Club Hall of Fame
Shani Marks Johnson
Class of 2012
Track & Field: 2000-03
Shani Marks Johnson came to the Golden Gophers as a high school state champion, left as an All-American, and soared to even greater heights in her post-collegiate career.
At Minnesota, Johnson earned All-America honors during both the indoor and outdoor seasons in 2003, with a runner-up finish in triple jump at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. She also won three Big Ten titles: two in outdoor triple jump (2001 and `03), and one in the indoor 600 meters (2001). Johnson was a first-team Academic All-American in 2003.
The year after her Gopher career ended, Johnson finished fourth at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials. In the next four years, she won three USA Outdoor triple jump titles (2006, '07, '08) and two USA Indoor titles (2005 and '07).
In 2008, Johnson qualified for the Olympics by winning at the Trials with a career-best mark of 47 feet, 2 1/4 inches. She went on to finish 28th in Beijing. Johnson is one of only three Olympians ever to come out of the Minnesota track and field program. She is the only Golden Gopher to compete for Team U.S.A. in the Olympic Games.