Hall of Fame - Athletes

2005

CONNIE JOHNSTON

Utah

Track and Field - WGD

Connie Johnston was a 1987 co-recipient of the USA Deaf Sports Federation’s prestigious Athlete of the Year Award and a USOC Athlete of the Year for Group E in 1988.

A pretty, dark haired, 5’ 10”, 140-pounder from Ogden, UT, Connie was all lean muscles. Her specialty was the high jump, in which she broke the 6-foot mark in 1986, tying the best high school mark in the nation. She holds the deaf world record in the heptathlon at 4,903 points. She was the first Utah woman to break 6’ as well as being the first deaf woman to do so.

During Connie’s training in Colorado Springs in preparation for the 1985 World Games for the Deaf, she originally entered to compete in both 400 meters and high jump events. After she outdid most of her teammates in practice runs (at 16, she was the youngest trickster competing), team coaches decided to enter her in the heptathlon. It was her only second time in this event; nonetheless she racked up an impressive 4,650 points to set a deaf world record. She had already set an all-time record for 4,816 points as a sophomore at the 1985 Utah High School Activities Association meet at BYU in Provo, UT. In April 1986, she defended her title with another breaking performance of 4,945 points for a new record; her nearest competitor was 1,032 points behind her. This performance also set a new American deaf record for women and also bettered her 1985 record of 4,650 points. She garnered 3 gold medals in the 4x400m relay, high jump and heptathlon at the 1985 World Games for the Deaf in Los Angeles.

In 1986 at the National High School Track Meet in Towson, MD, Connie finished 4th in the heptathlon. She made the Junior Olympics–the first deaf female athlete to make the team–she competed in Canada and also placed 4th in the heptathlon.

At the 1987 Davis High School Invitational, Connie was named Meet Outstanding Female Performer for the second year in a row, with marks in javelin throw (132’ 3”); long jump (17’ 11-3/4”); and high jump (5’ 8”).

In the 1987 Utah Region I Track and Field Championships, she set new records in the 100m hurdles (14.48) and high jump (5’ 10”). She also won the long jump (17’ 8-1/2”) and the javelin (125’ 10-1/2”).

In the state’s 4A Championships, she took four events high jump (5’ 8”), javelin (137’ 1”), 100m hurdles (14.99) and long jump (17’ 10-1/2"). She was a 3-time state champion in the high jump for which she holds the second-best record of 5’ 11”, a 2-time state champion in the long jump and 3-time state champion in the girls’ heptathlon.

An all-around athlete, Connie was a member of state championship teams in volleyball (2) and track (3). She averaged 17.1 points and 7.3 rebounds in basketball. She was named 1987 USA Today’s All-USA Prep Female Athlete from Utah and was a two-time Gatorade state winner from Utah in girls’ track and field (1985-86 and 1986-87).

Connie returned to participate in the 1989 World Games for the Deaf in Christchurch, New Zealand and won two gold medals in the 4x400m relay and heptathlon, setting another deaf world record with 4,903 points, and two silver medals in the 100m hurdles and high jump.