Jennifer Johnston of Clarkston High School celebrated her signing with Tiffin University with her teammates and other friends recently at Clarkston. Johnston averaged 14 points, five rebounds and three steals per game for the Wolves last season.(The Oakland Press/MARVIN GOODWIN)
It turns out Jennifer Johnston can have her cake and eat it too. On this occasion, the Clarkston High School senior shared a delectable chocolate cake, topped with frosty white icing with her comrades, celebrating her signing with Tiffin University to play basketball for the Dragons next season.
The cake nearly slipped out of her hands, but that was OK since her teammates were close by if an assist was needed.
Johnston averaged about 14 points, five rebounds and three steals a game according to girls coach Tim Wasilk, who’ll be sorry to see the senior point guard go.
“Jennifer loves the game of basketball,” he said. “We’ve had her for three years on varsity. She handles the point guard position really well (and) she’s been a great asset to our team the last three years.”
Earning a basketball scholarship is like a dream come true for Johnston, who has played the sport for about 10 years.
“It means such much,” she said. “I’ve been looking forward doing that a long time, to play at leas Division 2. It finally happened.”
Tiffin, which will compete in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) next season, is located about an hour south of Toledo.
“After I visited there, I really liked it,” said Johnston, who preferred the smaller campus atmosphere the school affords. “The campus is really nice ... just a couple of blocks (big) and right next to the downtown area. The coaching staff is really nice (and) I like the way everything was set up. It’s a very good program.”
Math and language are her favorite subjects, but she plans to major in Business Management because of the variety of career opportunities available.
Her preparation for college athletics begins in summer with a structured daily workout program her Tiffin coaches will send her.
“It’s going to be intense,” Johnston said, “(but) I love having a set schedule.”
But she’ll also miss playing basketball with her teammates. “That was like 90 percent of my high school experience,” she said. “Team dinners were amazing and fun. We really bonded.”
Now she’ll bond with a new set of teammates. “She’s very coachable and very easy to get a long with,” Wasilk said. “I think she’ll fit in very well at Tiffin.”
