By the end of his first collegiate season, Joe Johnson found himself competing with the top javelin throwers in the nation. 

The Franklin freshman came into the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships seeded 22nd out of 22 competitors. By the end of Saturday's competition, Johnson beat his seed and placed 20th. 

Johnson started off his three-throw preliminary series tossing 52.63 meters and 53.74 meters before fouling his last throw. The top mark of 53.74 meters equates to 176 feet 4 inches. He is the first male Grizzly to qualify for the national meet since Nathan Adams in 2019. 

Joe rounds out an incredible freshman year in the javelin that saw him hit a personal best mark of 61.81 meters (200-7). 

The Franklin track and field team rounds out the 2026 season with two national qualifiers, with fellow freshman Grace Tincher previously qualifying and earning second team All-America honors in the indoor long jump.