COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - Anthony Sletta would rather not have had to deal with the string of injuries that have beset him dating back to high school.
 
But the standout jumper on the Saint John's University track and field team isn't one to complain. Instead, he's used the adversity as fuel – pushing through the pain to reach levels of performance even he wasn't sure were possible.
 
In the process, he's also discovered his future path.
 
"Honestly, I've always had this desire to keep pushing myself further and further," the St. James High School graduate said. "My body has never hurt so badly that I couldn't compete. So as long as I've been able to, I've kept pushing and training. 
 
"All that work has seemed to pay off."
 
It certainly has. Despite not coming out for track and field until his junior season in high school, he still qualified for the Class A state meet in the long jump two-straight years – finishing 12th as a junior and 13th as a senior in the spring of 2023.
 
He then spent a year playing basketball at Ridgewater Community College in Willmar before transferring to Saint John's, where his older brother Josh '23 played football and ran track and field.
 
The younger sibling made an immediate impact last season, finishing third overall in the long jump at the MIAC outdoor meet with a leap of 6.92 meters (22-feet-8 ½).
 
Sletta is off to a strong start again this outdoor season, winning the long jump with a distance of 7.24 meters (23-9) at the CSB+SJU Invitational on April 16 at Clemens Stadium – a performance that ranks best in the MIAC by over a foot so far this spring.
 
He's done all that despite battling through a string of injuries that started with patellar tendonitis during high school track so severe he had to apply Icy Hot to both knees prior to every jump.
 
At SJU, he fought through shin splints and a hamstring strain a year ago. Now this season, he is still recovering from a hip and lower back injury suffered last fall.

"Any turn I made would lead to a sudden surge of pain in my lower back," he said. "We finally figured out it was a tightness in my muscles leading to a sciatic nerve issue. But the indoor season was kind of horrid. I was still dealing with the pain and I didn't jump very well at all. I wound up finishing ninth at the MIAC indoor meet.

"There's still a tightness in my hip that I'm currently rehabbing to alleviate. But everyday I'm working to build back the strength and speed I used to have and more. My coaches, teammates and trainers here have been great when it comes to helping me get through all this. Plus, I've also started seeing an exercise physiologist in Burnsville who has made a huge difference. It's taken a team of people to get me back to where I am right now." 

Count his head coach among those pleased with his current performance level.
 
"Anthony is a high-energy guy, and when gets the right meet with a big crowd watching him, there's no telling what he can do," SJU head coach Jeremy Karger-Gatzow said. "He brings so much energy to the team and to his event.
 
"I think a big part of his success this year has been focusing less on distance and - because he's coming back from an injury - more on his training and the technical aspects he's needed to clean up. When you do that, good performances usually come."

All that experience dealing with injuries has also guided his future planning. The exercise science major with a pre-chiropractic emphasis hopes to one day pursue a career in that field.
 
"In some ways, these last few injuries have almost been a blessing," he said. "If I hadn't gotten hurt, I wouldn't have met the exercise physiologist I've been working with. He was the one who told me the chiropractic route was the best path toward getting where I wanted to go, and he's offered me an internship this summer that I'm really excited about."
 
Sletta has also drawn inspiration from teammate Max Reis. The pair each transferred to SJU prior to last season and pushed each other every day in practice. Reis advanced to the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships in both the long jump and the 100-meter dash, finishing ninth and third overall, respectively. 
 
But he has also been sidelined by injury and has not competed this season.

"Max has been a leader on this team since the moment he landed here and his presence is really needed," Sletta said. "He brings great excitement to everyone around him whenever he trains and competes. Being able to compete with and against him has driven me to push myself to new heights.

"It's hard not having him in meets, but he's still here every day and brings so much energy," he continued. "Everybody loves that guy and he's right there with us, riding the bike during practice. If we're outside, he brings it outside too. He has a great work ethic and that sets the tone for everyone else."
 
Because of his older brother, Sletta spent a lot of time at SJU while in high school.
 
"From grades 9-12, I feel like I kind of grew up around this campus," he said. "My brother loved his experience here and he tried to recruit me every chance he got. I started out at Ridgewater because it was really my only basketball offer, and that sport was my first love. But that didn't feel like the right fit, and when I decided to transfer, I knew this was where I wanted to be. 
 
"I've been in love with this place since the first time we got off the freeway and started driving into campus. The way the Abbey Church stands out in front of you was just about the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.
 
"Saint John's has always felt like home and I'm so glad I'm finally here."
 
Now Sletta is focused on building a legacy within the program. That starts with not only making a run at the outdoor school long jump record, but continuing to help enhance the depth of a Johnnie jumping crew that already ranked among the top teams in the nation for average distance a year ago.

"I want to help develop even more competitive athletes to exceed how well we did last season," he said. "Keeping this jumps program among the best in the nation is really important to me.

"As far as the school record goes, it would mean a lot to me to get my name up there with the other greats who have been here. Guys like (All-American sprinter) Kevin Arthur (who graduated after last season). He became an instant mentor to me as soon as I got here, but I'd known him well before that because he was a friend of my brother's. He's meant so much to me over the years.

"Then to qualify for nationals is the other big goal," Sletta continued. "That's another reason I came to Saint John's – the chance to compete against the highest-level competition. So to get a chance to go against the best in the nation would be a dream come true."