- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,143,808
- Reaction score
- 59
May 29—Emalyn Johnson has examined the seniors in the class ahead of her and is figuring out the traits they use to be leaders.
She is ready to take what she's learned, combine them with some impressive bat skills, and become a leader by example as she takes her turn to be a senior next season.
Johnson is a junior softball player at Covington. In two tournament games against Botkins and Russia, she hit three home runs, including the eventual game-winner to clinch a Division VII district championship.
For her efforts, Johnson was named the Dayton Daily News Athlete of the Week for May 19-25, earning the honor through reader voting at DaytonDailyNews.com.
"Definitely meant a lot to me, and I was just really happy to know that I got it," Johnson said. "I'm just so glad that I can be a part of a community that supports me as well as the other athletes who go to our school."
Johnson left her mark as one of the state's best hitters this season. She tied a state record by hitting four home runs during a game against Milton-Union on April 29. She had 19 total in 30 games, and with 70 RBIs and a .653 average, she won the triple crown amongst all Three Rivers Conference hitters. She also led the league with seven triples and 21 stolen bases.
"I wanted to be more aggressive at the plate, so less strikeouts looking and everything. I wanted to make sure that I was just giving my all-out effort every single time and a big goal I set for myself is just not getting in my head as much, trusting my teammates and never letting my performance affect my attitude," she said.
She credits the on-field success to the camaraderie created off of it with her teammates and their day-to-day traditions. She said each of this year's five seniors playing for the Buccaneers brought something unique to the table that helped lead to being successful.
"Nell [Rogers] prays before games and she always makes sure that she's just that joyous person who you want to be around," Johnson said. "Taylor [Foutz] is a leader and she'll make sure everyone's doing the right thing. Whitney [Burns] always has a positive attitude. Jayda [McClure] is that leader by example.
"There's different things I take from each of them, and I just want to do it all and just be able to be that leader and have underclassmen look up to me in the same way I looked up to them."
Johnson said most of all it was her and others' trust in God that defined their season.
"We put our identity in that and not exactly the sport," she said. "I think that's something that really got me through the season and that's what I want people to know is that's how we've performed so well, just putting our trust there and nothing else."
Continue reading...
She is ready to take what she's learned, combine them with some impressive bat skills, and become a leader by example as she takes her turn to be a senior next season.
Johnson is a junior softball player at Covington. In two tournament games against Botkins and Russia, she hit three home runs, including the eventual game-winner to clinch a Division VII district championship.
For her efforts, Johnson was named the Dayton Daily News Athlete of the Week for May 19-25, earning the honor through reader voting at DaytonDailyNews.com.
"Definitely meant a lot to me, and I was just really happy to know that I got it," Johnson said. "I'm just so glad that I can be a part of a community that supports me as well as the other athletes who go to our school."
Johnson left her mark as one of the state's best hitters this season. She tied a state record by hitting four home runs during a game against Milton-Union on April 29. She had 19 total in 30 games, and with 70 RBIs and a .653 average, she won the triple crown amongst all Three Rivers Conference hitters. She also led the league with seven triples and 21 stolen bases.
"I wanted to be more aggressive at the plate, so less strikeouts looking and everything. I wanted to make sure that I was just giving my all-out effort every single time and a big goal I set for myself is just not getting in my head as much, trusting my teammates and never letting my performance affect my attitude," she said.
She credits the on-field success to the camaraderie created off of it with her teammates and their day-to-day traditions. She said each of this year's five seniors playing for the Buccaneers brought something unique to the table that helped lead to being successful.
"Nell [Rogers] prays before games and she always makes sure that she's just that joyous person who you want to be around," Johnson said. "Taylor [Foutz] is a leader and she'll make sure everyone's doing the right thing. Whitney [Burns] always has a positive attitude. Jayda [McClure] is that leader by example.
"There's different things I take from each of them, and I just want to do it all and just be able to be that leader and have underclassmen look up to me in the same way I looked up to them."
Johnson said most of all it was her and others' trust in God that defined their season.
"We put our identity in that and not exactly the sport," she said. "I think that's something that really got me through the season and that's what I want people to know is that's how we've performed so well, just putting our trust there and nothing else."
Continue reading...
