Medina pole vaulter Colleen Johnson commits to Western Illinois

Colleen Johnson celebrated the weekend of her high school graduation by announcing her next destination. The Medina pole vaulter committed to join the women's track team at Western Illinois just hours after receiving her diploma, accepting the opportunity to compete at the NCAA Division I level. "I really liked being around the team and getting to know the coach, and it's a very nice campus (in Macomb)," Johnson said. "Just being part of the team and having fun while competing is something I'm looking forward to a lot." The news capped a whirlwind week for Johnson, the only gymnast in Medina County history to qualify for the state individual meet and state team meet all four years. She was named the Ray Mellert Female Athlete of the Year at Medina's senior awards ceremony, then finished third at the Brunswick Division I District in the pole vault to qualify for the Amherst Regional. Earlier this spring, Johnson cleared a career-best 12 feet in the event — the third-highest jump all time for the Bees — to continue her remarkable progression since taking up the sport in April 2021. "Gymnastics definitely helped because I'm used to maneuvering my body," Johnson said. "I've also had great coaches helping me every step of the way." Medina gymnastics coach Darcy Ranallo was overjoyed that Johnson will be continuing her athletic career while studying business and technology information systems. Ranallo noted that the Leathernecks have added more than a pole vaulter to their program. Johnson also won the Rollie Platz Sportsmanship Award and broke the county record by counting 15 career scores at the state team meet. "Colleen is a great teammate, friend, athlete and mentor," she said of the multiple-time Greater Cleveland Conference gymnastics and track champion. "She is humble about her successes, and there have been many, and her ability to represent the community, the staff and her parents in such a gracious manner is commendable." Western Illinois is moving to the Ohio Valley Conference on July 1, ending its brutal travel requirements that included trips to Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota. The Leathernecks had been a member of the Summit League since its founding in 1982 as the Association of Mid-Continent Universities but now will contest the majority of their events in the Midwest. "That's cool because I'll be able to compete against a lot of nearby schools and hopefully see a lot of athletes that I've met," Johnson said. "I'm excited to get started." Contact Brian Dulik at brisports@hotmail.com. Follow him @BrianDulik on Twitter.