WADSWORTH — The Ashland women’s basketball program snared another big fish.
Jodi Johnson
Wadsworth first-team All-Ohioan Jodi Johnson is going to give up volleyball, as the senior accepted the Division II school’s partial scholarship offer that increases with each school year.
Johnson was so dead set on Ashland there weren’t any other serious contenders for her services.
“I got to play with some of the girls on the team, and I actually know one of them (West Holmes High graduate Laina Snyder), so they really helped me get to know other teammates,” Johnson said Tuesday. “And, obviously, the coaching staff is really nice.”
The Wadsworth connection to the Eagles began with Lindsay Tenyak, a starter for Ashland’s 2013 national championship team. Fellow former Gazette MVP Taylor Woods was next in line, becoming the school’s all-time leading 3-point shooter.
Johnson naturally got a glowing scouting report from Tenyak, now a teacher at Wadsworth’s Lincoln Elementary, and getting another inside scoop from Snyder, Ashland’s second-leading scorer as a freshman who knows Johnson through Wadsworth forward Laurel Palitto, was the deal-clincher.
“I felt like I’d fit in there, especially hearing from Lindsay Tenyak,” said Johnson, who has a 3.8 grade-point average and is undecided on a major. “She talked to me, and (Wadsworth) Coach (Andrew) Booth knows how things run there.”
Tradition didn’t hurt, either, as the Eagles reached the D-II regional finals and were ranked 22nd in the final national poll.
Associate head coach Robyn Fralick recently took over for the retired Sue Ramsey, giving Ashland continuity alongside talented young players such as Snyder and reigning Great Lakes Intercolleigate Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year Andi Daugherty.
“It’s awesome to know that we could do the same thing in the future,” Johnson said. “It’s crazy to think about, but that’s obviously something that’s going to be our goal.”
Johnson has helped the Grizzlies reach the Norwalk D-I Regional championship game in each of her first three varsity seasons. The 5-foot-11, 145-pounder blossomed last winter en route to earning Gazette MVP honors, averaging 15.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.6 steals while also playing lock-tight defense.
In the meantime, she’ll star for the Wadsworth volleyball team during its quest to return to the regional finals.
“At the very end (of the process), we talked about walking on (to the volleyball team), but I decided to pass,” she said.
Contact Albert Grindle at (330) 721-4043 or agrindle@medina-gazette.com.