Cibola’s Johnson signs NLI with Arizona Christian
On Tuesday afternoon, Cibola senior two-sport standout Myna Johnson made her college choice public at a press conference on the Raiders high school campus.
Johnson signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her basketball career at Arizona Christian University, an NAIA institution located in Glendale. A fouryear starter for the Raiders varsity basketball team, Johnson was named the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s Region Player of the year this past season.
During her senior campaign, Johnson also reached the statistical milestone of scoring over 1,000 points during her varsity career. In addition to her exploits on the basketball court, Johnson also competed for the Cibola varsity volleyball team.
At the press conference, Johnson spoke to media members and reflected on her time at Cibola and how it helped prepare her for the next level of competition.
“The experience and the lessons that come with winning and losing, as well as the practices really helped,” Johnson stated at the press conference. “It was a dream come true just to play high school varsity basketball so I’m really excited. I love Cibola and I love the program. I’m going to miss the coaches, the people and everything about being here.”
When it came down to narrowing down a college, Johnson reveals she was considering as many as eight schools at one point. Eventually, it was Arizona Christian that made Johnson feel at ease with her decision.
“I just wanted to feel some comfort like it was a second home because I’m going to be there for a while. I also liked that it was closer to home,” the Yuma native explained.
Johnson looks to continue her strong bloodline within the sport of basketball. Her father, Scott, is a former player at Arizona Western College and served as a key mentor in the early development of his daughter’s career. The middle child of three, Johnson’s younger brother Cadyn and older sister Taty both showed an interest in basketball as well.
“My dad means everything to me. He was my first coach for pee-wee division basketball and he taught me so much,” Johnson said of her father.
Academically, Johnson says she wants to major in psychology as she plans to prepare for a career working with special needs children. On the court, the 5-foot-6 guard says she is looking forward to growing as a player.
“I know coming from a small town, it’s going to be very different, but I’m ready,” Johnson added. “I want to contribute to the team and I know it’s going to take a lot of hard work.”
Also at the press conference, Cibola girls basketball head coach Anthony Gerg noted the positive contributions Johnson has made to the program during her four years as a starter.
“We’re more than happy to see her go onto the next level of play. She’s been a pleasure to have as a player, she’s been a role model and mentor for the youth and we definitely appreciated all her hard work,” Gerg stated.