WILDCAT SPOTLIGHT a special place
At Linfield, Johns found herself playing second fiddle behind AllAmerican Makenna Clizer. In a true Johns fashion, she soaked up all the knowledge she could from the veteran player. Emerging from a small town without a youth softball program to “For two seasons, I was the backup to Makenna, who I become the starting shortstop for a nationally ranked team, attribute most of my success to now. I had to relearn most of Katrina Johns’ career has been all about overcoming obstacles my mechanics. My softball I.Q. compared to Makenna’s was absolutely terrible. There was a moment in time when I by riley omonaka ’24 thought to myself ‘I’m never going to see the field.’ She pretty or Katrina Johns, a senior with the Linfield University much taught me what she knew in hopes of helping me besoftball team, every day is an opportunity to improve. come the best player I could be after her,” Johns says. Coming to Linfield four years ago, Johns had minimal Johns refused to be a victim of her ego. She let go of her experience under her belt and had already fought off hubris and made immediate improvements as a result. career-ending injuries. “Once I showed up here, I was quickly humbled and realJohns began softball relatively late in life. At 13 years old, ized I had a lot of work to do. Compared to the other girls in the she picked the bat up for the first time and never looked back. program, I was absolutely terrible,” she says. “It took quite the In her hometown of Naches, Washington, Johns never really adjustment to realize that I was no longer the best at my position. had the chance to try softball as a young girl. There were only I wouldn’t be where I am today without that realization.” Little League baseball teams to compete with, but that didn’t No one is harder on Johns than herself, but no one has her stop her from working on her skills with family in the front yard. tenacity or resilience either. The weight of all her frustrations and “I never really considered playing (softball) until later mistakes didn’t crush her willpower; it reaffirmed its strength. on down the road,” she says.” After I started, I pretty much “Kat is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met and it’s instantly fell in love with it and from that point on, I played been incredible to watch her passion for softball throughout year-round on different travel ball teams until I graduated.” her career as a Wildcat. She is really someone who puts her Despite her late start, Johns is no stranger to athletics. all into everything she does and I really envy that about her,” Prior to developing into an all-conference shortstop, Johns says longtime roommate and teammate Katie Phillips. was a regular on the soccer pitch and basketball court. At the Though this spring is Johns’ fourth year in the ripe age of 9, she was hunting game with her family. Johns program, she has no intention of hanging up her jersey loves two things most: family and staying active. That anytime soon. Instead, she plans to utilize her final pretty much sums up her hobbies now: Dirt-biking, year of eligibility and return for the 2023 season. hiking, working out and spending time with friends After her final hurrah, Johns wants to explore a and family. career in the sports world. As a sport management Johns loves the rush of adrenaline that comes major, she won’t be straying far from the field and with an active lifestyle, but to be where she is today, is considering coaching or working with a profesJohns had to fight. She had to scrap her way sional sports organization. through three separate surgeries, any one of which “The best part about my major is getting to could have ended her career. work in different aspects of sports. Being an athlete, “I completely tore my ACL and both my I have always had a fascination with sports and lateral and medial meniscus, all on the everything that comes with it,” she says. “Besame leg,” she says, looking back to high ing able to immerse myself in the school. “This took away my junior seabusiness side of sports and learn more son and essentially caused me to lose about careers less known in the industry offers that I had. I ended up pushing has been eye-opening and exciting.” my recovery and coming back early Johns has overcome a lot to reach with the hopes that I could rebuild where she is now. She has reaffirmed back to the point I was before the her strength and remains a steadying injury. force and a reliable friend. She loves her “Fast forward and I was team and sport with her whole heart. undergoing another surgery the “Our team is pure fun. We know how week before I came to college, to work hard, we support each other, we making my freshman fall ball a love being around one another, and we struggle to compete.” just know how to have a good time. I Even after return to the softball think it’s hard to put our team into words. diamond, there were no guarantee that ‘Catball’ has a way of holding a special Johns would see the field. In her small place in your heart, but describing us as hometown, Johns was an immediate star. a family is about as accurate as it gets.”
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GAME TIME
april 9-10, 2022
