German standout joined boyfriend Stefanski in moving to Memphis in 2018 and has quietly developed under Hoffman’s guidance into All-American and title contender, arriving at NCAA championship in Washington unbeaten this fall

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

Bill Hoffman and the Christian Brothers University coaching staff had their eyes on Leo Stefanski.

It was nearly five years ago when the NCAA Division 2 program in Memphis, Tenn., was actively recruiting the distance runner from Schleusingen, Germany, when he mentioned his girlfriend, Johanna Wistokat, who was also a runner.

“Leo basically said, ‘The only way I come, is if she comes,’” Hoffman said with a laugh.

“We looked her up and I thought she was a good runner, but a developmental runner. We said, ‘OK, we’ll try and make this work and we basically took a chance, and it's just worked out.’”

That risk has more than worked out as Wistokat, a current graduate student at Christian Brothers, has progressed from a relatively unknown into one of the best distance runners in program history for the Pirates.

She heads into the NCAA Division 2 Cross Country Championships undefeated this fall and a big opportunity to win her first national title Friday at Chambers Bay Regional Park in University Place, Wash.

Wistokat is coming off a 6-kilometer victory in 21 minutes, 21.7 seconds Nov. 19 at the Division 2 South Regional Championships at Holloway Park in Lakeland, Fla.

“The game plan is it’s just another race,” Hoffman said. “I think if you hyperfocus on, ‘We’re going to try and win,’ that's great, but you have to execute the race. Anything can happen, the clouds can be too low, the grass can be too high, the cows are laying down, all of that stuff. This is like every race that we go into: do the very best you can do and see how the race develops.”

That mantra of anything can happen, has been a big part of Wistokat’s journey.

Growing up in Germany, she started the sport of track and field – playing games, running, jumping – at age 7.

She didn’t engage in longer distances until her teenage years, experiencing success through the club system.

After graduating high school, Wistokat said she planned on coming to the United States for just a short while to improve her English and take advantage of the system for academics and athletics, but fell in love with the opportunities.

With some extra help from her boyfriend, Leo, she settled on Christian Brothers as her new home.

“I was really afraid coming here because coming to a whole new country, I was only 17 years old, and I was really happy in Germany, so I was like, ‘Why am I moving across the world?’” Wistokat said. “But the transition was really easy because the people here in Memphis and America are just so nice and welcoming.”

The transition from a European to an American running system for Wistokat was an eye-opening experience as she adjusted to different competition and training.

In her first cross country season for Christian Brothers, she ended with a 6K personal best at the South Regional Championships in 22:45.2.

“In Germany, I always had my group, but not the team aspect,” Wistokat said. “My training, I was running four or five times a week by myself. The fact that here I have a group to train with everyday and a coach who I see everyday has made a huge difference and brought me joy for running.”

With a steady freshman track season and more progress in the fall, Hoffman said Wistokat was making great strides and then the pandemic struck.

Wistokat explained she was able to travel back to Germany, which allowed time to dial in on training and enjoy the process.

“It was just me and running,” she said. “There weren’t any races I needed to work for, I didn’t have any pressure to put on myself, and every day I just went out there and ran, and when I wanted to do a workout I did a workout. It really helped me to enjoy running more.”

Hoffman said since then, Wistokat just started “rocking.”

The 2021 cross country season culminated with Wistokat placing 38th at the Division 2 National Championships in Saint Leo, Fla., becoming the first Christian Brothers female cross country runner to earn All-America honors in 21.28.0.

During the indoor track season, Wistokat clocked 17:09 in the 5K, taking nearly a minute off her previous personal best.

The outdoor season saw her earn second team Academic All-American honors and finish second at the Gulf South Coast Conference Championship in the 5K, losing only to All-American and national champion Celine Ritter of Lee University, who is also from Germany and has become a close friend.

“We try to cater to that steady progression, and for Johanna it was like, ‘Wow, this is the real deal,’” Hoffman said. “We use a lot of common sense, keep it simple and make it fun, keep the pressure off the kids, I think that is one of the things that holds people back is overthinking things.”

Wistokat explained training with Christian Brothers for years without any major setback or injuries has been the biggest key to her consistency.

On paper, Wistokat’s biggest improvements have come this cross country season, as she’s yet to lose a race. She said once she won the Rhodes Invite in September, the first individual win of her career, improving her time by nearly 20 seconds from a year ago, she knew this would be a special season.

“I’m feeling so relaxed here and I know I always have my team and my coach behind me, so I kind of go into races confident in knowing what I can do and also trusting the training,” she said. “And I think there was a big breakthrough for me not being stressed out in the races and just being confident in what I’m doing.”

While it’s been a longer than normal season for all Division 2 competitors finishing in December, Wistokat explained her legs are feeling ready for Friday.

“The work is basically done,” she said. “I’m excited and haven’t run this course yet, but I’m really looking forward to Seattle, and I don’t really mind the cold, I prefer the cold over the heat.”

For Hoffman, if Friday ends in a national championship, it will just align with the progress she’s been making during the fall, and throughout her career..

“Nothing has really surprised me,” Hoffman said. “Just the progression we’re making, and the hard work she's putting in and how dedicated she is. Will there ever be another Johanna Wistokat at CBU? I hope there will be, but this is a once in a lifetime for a coach to have someone athletically and academically. I’m just enjoying the moment.”