From 56 Seconds to Chasing 45: Loyola’s Ejam Yohannes Is Rising Into California 400m History

Senior surge puts Yohannes among California’s elite while hinting at even bigger range ahead

Under the lights at Arcadia.Loyola’s Ejam Yohannes moments before lining up against Olympic gold medalist Quincy Wilson — first in the open 400, then again on the anchor leg. | Dom W Stone

Ejam Yohannes didn’t arrive as a finished product. The Loyola High School senior built this, step by step, season by season — and the progression from his freshman year until now tells the real story.

Ejam Yohannes being interviewed during the 2026 Redondo Track Festival after running a season opener of 46.24 seconds in the 400 on March 14, 2026 | Ignacio Pérez

As a freshman in 2023, Yohannes was still finding his footing. His early marks sat in the mid-50s in the 400 meters, topping out at 52.48 by the end of the year. It was solid, promising even, but nothing that immediately pointed to what was coming. At that stage, he looked like a developing sprinter learning how to manage the event, not someone who would eventually sit near the top of California.

The jump came quickly.

By his sophomore season in 2024, Yohannes had already cut significant time, bringing his 400 down to 50.75 while also experimenting with the 800 meters, where he dipped under two minutes (1:59.80). That alone marked a shift. Sprinters don’t always step up in distance that early, and when they do, it usually exposes limitations. For Yohannes, it hinted at something else — range.

That range sharpened as a junior.

In 2025, he dropped down 7.28 range in the 400, a massive leap that moved him from “promising” to “serious.” At the same time, his sprint profile continued to round out: 10.87 in the 100 and multiple 21-low performances in the 200. By then, the trajectory was clear. This wasn’t just improvement — it was accelerated pace of improvement.

Now, as a senior in 2026, Yohannes has fully arrived. He has narrowed his top 3 choices to Stanford, USC, and Arkansas.

His 46.11 in the 400 meters stands as the No. 1 mark in California (with almost a half second lead to the next closest competitor)this season and places him No. 6 in the country. Nationally, he sits inside a tier typically reserved for athletes already projecting to NCAA conference finals and beyond. It’s the kind of time that doesn’t just win races — it changes how races are run. Yohannes adds that, "[he] knows [he] has what it takes to be the best and hates losing more than he likes winning". Definitely character traits of an elite competitor that is almost impossible to satisfy.

And yet, the 400 might not be the most interesting part anymore.

Earlier this season, Yohannes stepped into the 800 meters and ran 1:51.04 — a mark that ranks 8th in California and 22nd nationally(and a Loyola school record). For a dedicated middle-distance runner, that’s a breakthrough. For a 46-second quarter-miler, it’s something else entirely. It reinforces what his progression has been suggesting all along: he isn’t limited to one lane.

The numbers support that versatility. Alongside his 400 dominance, Yohannes owns a 21.20 in the 200 (good for 19th best in CA), confirming that his strength is built on real speed, not just endurance. Even his indoor and offseason work — including a 1:17.32 over 600 meters abd 33.08 in the 300 — both top times nationally. Show he has the true makings to excel in whichever discipline he hones in on.

Yohannes posing after anchoring the winning time in the 4x400 at the Redondo Track Festival. The team ran a time of 3:14.44 and their best on the season of 3:11.83 at Arcadia is good for no. 3 in California and no. 7 nationally. | Lophiet (Ivan Wiggins-Ingram)

That combination is rare at the high school level.

Most athletes eventually narrow their focus. The events diverge, the training separates, and the body tends to follow one path. Yohannes has done the opposite, expanding his profile while still improving at his core event. It’s why college programs won’t need much projection when they look at him. The data is already there.

But beyond the times, there’s a consistency in how he races. From his early 50-second efforts to now running 46-low, the biggest change isn’t just speed — it’s control. He doesn’t rush races. He doesn’t tighten early. Even when the pace stretches, he looks composed in a way that usually comes later in an athlete’s development.

That might be the most telling part of all.

Because if the past four years have shown anything, it’s that Yohannes doesn’t plateau. He builds. And right now, the curve is still pointing up.

What makes Yohannes’ rise even more compelling is how recent it really is. He didn’t grow up in a structured track pipeline or spend years refining his craft — in fact, he didn’t take the sport seriously until his junior year, when Loyola brought in head coach Sharaud Moore. From that point, everything changed quickly. In just six months, his 400-meter time dropped from 51 seconds to 47.2, a jump that completely reset his trajectory.

That foundation makes what he’s doing now feel even more sustainable. Yohannes said he always believed he could be fast, but it wasn’t until he aligned that belief with real intention — daily work, focus, and consistency — that the results followed. As mentioned previously, programs like Stanford, USC, and Arkansas have already caught his attention, and it’s easy to see why. With his combination of speed, range, and late-blooming upside, Yohannes isn’t just arriving — he’s still building toward what looks like a much higher ceiling. The track world will surely be eager to find out where Ejam Yohannes will be taking his talents next year, and by season's end Yohannes would love to add a state title and get into the top 10 of CA state history in the 400. He currently ranks 17th all-time in CA history with his 46.11 and would need a 47.75 or better to enter that top 10.

He is known by many as "the truth", a moniker that has defined him since the preseason. It will only be time until the truth is told on the highest stage for all the track world to see.