ST. JOSEPH, Minn. -- Tiana Johnson comes from a military family, but she wasn't sure it was something she wanted to pursue herself. 

  

She was a standout cross country, alpine ski and track and field athlete at Mankato West High School, but she was not sure she wanted to compete in college athletics, either. 

  

Ultimately, though, it was the programs available at the College of Saint Benedict that persuaded her to do both. 

  

"I grew up thinking the military was super cool, but I didn't know if it was for me," said Johnson, a junior political science major. "But one of my older brothers had gone through the ROTC program here (the Fighting Saints Battalion, comprised of students from Saint John's University, CSB and Saint Cloud State University) and he encouraged me to check it out. 

  

"When it came to college choices, I was looking at Saint Ben's, the University of Minnesota and Marquette because I was not sure I wanted to run track. I visited the U of M, and I did not fall in love with it the way I thought I would. Then I came up here to visit and there was a sense of community and belonging that I had not found anywhere else," said Johnson.

  

That extended to the track and field program where she said she was welcomed with open arms as a first-year athlete in the spring of 2021. 

  

  

Almost immediately, she made a contribution, recording four top-10 finishes during the outdoor season and qualifying for the MIAC Championships in the 100-meter dash. But it was during her sophomore season a year ago when she truly came into her own.  

  

She won a conference title in the 200 in a school-record time of 25.16 seconds, making her the first CSB athlete in 20 years to win the event at the MIAC meet. She also finished fourth in the 100 and was part of the Bennies' 400 relay team which finished second. 

  

"I think a lot of it had to do with my attitude," said Johnson, who also ranks sixth all-time at CSB in the 100-meter dash (12.39, 2022). "My first year here, we were dealing with COVID, and things were still isolated. I'm more of an extrovert and it really helped me last year to be around everybody every day in practice.  

  

"It is funny though because, even during the season (last spring), I improved a lot. I just had a meeting with my coaches, and we looked at my time drops. Before the MIAC meet, I think my best time had been 26.1. So, getting down to the low 25s was big. It gave me a huge confidence boost," she said.

 

Away from the track, Johnson stays busy as a member of the Fighting Saints. The battalion has consistently placed high in regional and national military skills competitions. 

  

Lt. Col. Doug Serie, a professor of military science and head of the ROTC program, said Johnson is big part of that success. Both her grandfathers served in the military. So did her father, Shane, who was in the Navy. Her brother, Trace, served in the National Guard while another, Tanner, was part of the Fighting Saints. 

  

"Tiana is an outstanding cadet who will make an exceptional Army officer," Serie said. "She always has a smile on her face and is eager to learn. She is a model of the Army values of leadership, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage.  

  

"She served as the team captain for the 2022 five-person Ranger Challenge Team and never hesitates to help others succeed." 

  

Johnson, who is also a member of the CSB Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), has studied Chinese extensively during her time on campus and would like to one day pursue a career as a translator for one of the intelligence agencies. 

  

She had a chance to immerse herself more extensively in the language when she spent time in Taiwan last summer as one of the ROTC cadets from around the nation selected to take part in Project Global Officer (GO). 

  

The Department of Defense initiative is aimed at improving the language skills, regional expertise and intercultural communication skills of future military officers.  

  

 "That was one of the most exciting things I've ever done," she said. "It was so great to experience being in a situation where I really had to rely on my Chinese skills to effectively communicate. The only time we really spoke English at all was in the dorms. Our professors knew a bit of English, but not a lot. And we had the chance to do a lot of sightseeing. Everywhere we went, we were speaking Chinese. It did a lot to help prepare me for the future." 

  

Johnson suffered stress fractures in one of her legs during the indoor season this past winter – an injury that will keep her out of action for her the first few outdoor meets. But she still managed to finish in the top 10 in both the 100 and 200 at the MIAC indoor championships, recording a time of 26.72 to finish seventh in the 200. 

  

"She scored for us, and she wasn't even seeded to do that," Balder-Lanoue said. "That showed a lot of determination." 

  

"Indoor is not my strong suit anyway," Johnson said. "I'm someone who's always liked being outdoors. But to have the performances I did, even knowing I was injured, makes me excited to see what I can do when I finally get healthy. My goal this year is to beat my school record in the 200 and hopefully repeat as conference champion. That would be a big accomplishment if I can make that happen." 

  

Her head coach said Johnson's enthusiasm and work ethic put such goals well within reach. 

  

"She brings so much energy and enthusiasm to every single practice," Balder-Lanoue said. "You can tell sprinting is her passion. But it is also her drive. When she steps on the track, she is focused on what she wants to accomplish." 

  

What Johnson is focused on accomplishing now is getting healthy and returning to the track for what she hopes will be another big outdoor season. 

  

"I'm just going to trust my training," she said. "If I can leave it all out there and not hold anything back, then no matter what happens, it's going to be a success in my eyes."