Jana Johns: Next Stop, Norman
Former Calhoun Lady Jacket Jana Johns transfers from South Carolina to Oklahoma
MBaron@CalhounTimes.com
Former Calhoun Lady Jacket Jana Johns is heading to the midwest. The
South Carolina junior announced her transfer to the University of Oklahoma on Friday via social media with the caption “BOOMER SOONER!!”
A versatile, multi-sport athlete while in high school, Johns signed a softball scholarship to the University of South Carolina in late 2016. During her freshman season, she recorded a .256 average with 43 hits as the Gamecocks made it to the NCAA Super Regionals for just the second time ever. Johns came into her own during her sophomore season, hitting .348 while collecting 56 hits and 15 home runs.
Johns’s junior season was cut short after just 23 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the shortened spring campaign, she hit .302 with four home runs and 15 RBIs. Johns started every game in her Gamecock career.
Now in Norman, Johns joins an Oklahoma team that has exemplified success, winning four national championships, most recently in 2017. The Sooners finished runner-up at the Women’s College World Series in 2019.
SOFTBALL,
ber the CHS community.
“It’s such a great community and everybody comes together,” Drummond said. “Everybody just supports one another. I’m going to miss the real family feel of the Jacket community. (Also), I’m going to miss all of my coaches.”
Drummond said the biggest lesson he learned from the recruitment process was to exercise patience and evaluate all options on the table.
“Don’t get uptight if you’re starting your junior year or senior year and you don’t have any offers or nobody’s looking at you,” Drummond said. “I really didn’t have anybody looking at me in the first few games at Calhoun. I was getting worried and scared, but be patience and don’t get rushed because it can come at any time.”
Drummond said his favorite memory as a Yellow Jacket was traveling to Ringgold High School and defeating the Tigers, 4-0, on March 9. Three days later, the 2020 season would abruptly end.
“Don’t take your baseball or football or any sports for granted because ... one week we’re playing three games, on Thursday we’re planning to go play a game on Friday, and that Thursday evening, there’s no more baseball,” Drummond said. “We wake up one day (and) get done with practice and didn’t know that was going to be the last time I saw all my teammates on the baseball field. Just don’t take your high school sports for granted because ... then one day, it’s all gone.”
Drummond and the Yellow Jackets went 9-0 this past season before the coronavirus pandemic prematurely ended spring sports across Georgia.
As Drummond turns his attention toward college, he said he is looking forward to meeting his new teammates and experiencing Berry’s campus.