Three Merced College athletes sign with four-year colleges. Where are they headed?
After growing up in Merced, Jada Johnson is ready to experience life in a big city. It doesn’t get much bigger than Los Angeles.
That’s where the Merced College sophomore will be headed after recently accepting a basketball scholarship to Cal State Los Angeles.
“I’m super ecstatic,” Johnson said. “I think it’s a really big blessing. I’m looking forward to the change. Los Angeles is a big city with a lot of opportunities.”
The 6-foot-1 Johnson was an all-Central Valley Conference selection after helping lead the Lady Blue Devils to a 24-6 record and a CVC championship. Johnson averaged 8.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
“Jada is so active, her athleticism and passion for the game will help her new team,” said Merced College coach Allen Huddleston. “The coaching staff at Cal State LA are in their second year. To get a player with her excellence and energy, she’ll be a great leader for them.”
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Johnson, who is a Merced High product, is one of two Merced College women’s basketball players on the move. Sophomore Malaya Kendrick recently signed with Tarleton State University in Texas.
Tarteton State will be joining the Western Athletic Conference next season as they make the jump to Division I.
“Honestly, it’s a dream come true,” Kendrick said. “Coming out of high school and going to (junior college), you never think you’re going to make it to D1 and the big stage. Words can’t explain how excited I am.”
Kendrick, who graduated from Edison High School in Fresno, was named the CVC Most Valuable Player last year after averaging 17.9 points and 10.1 rebounds.
“There were times in practice when I wouldn’t have to say anything,” Huddleston said. “Malaya would challenge the other girls. She’s going to set the standard for the other players.”
With college campuses closed down, Kendrick wasn’t able to visit any schools. She had to make her decision from home after taking virtual tours of basketball facilities and campuses online.
“I thought I would be able to make my decision by the end of March, but because of the coronavirus I wasn’t able to make my decision until April,” said Kendrick, who plans to head to Texas in July.
With California State universities announcing they will only be offering online classes this fall, Johnson says she likely won’t head to Los Angeles until this winter. She’ll take her first classes from home in Merced.
Connor Norton’s water polo career will continue at UC Davis.
The former Atwater High and Merced College star transferred to UC Davis in January with the hopes of a getting an early jump on the transition to Division I water polo.
However, the coronavirus has postponed practices.
“I transferred early because it’s a big jump to get up to their level of competition,” Connor Norton said. “I thought it would be most beneficial to be able to practice with them. It’s really unfortunate that the coronavirus pandemic happened.”
Norton was an all-Coast Conference, all Nor-Cal and All-American selection during his freshman and sophomore years at Merced College. He led the conference with 170 goals in 34 games as a freshman. Norton had 87 goals and 27 assists in 23 games as a sophomore.
Norton felt UC Davis was the perfect fit for him.
“I’m interested in the medical field and not only does UC Davis have a good water polo team, but it’s a good academic school,” Norton said. “They have a good medical school tied to UC Davis so it was a good decision to go to school there.”
Norton said his two years spent at Merced College prepared him to go out on his own.
“I think the biggest thing is I’m more mature than when I came out of high school,” Norton said. “I don’t think I was ready to move out on my own after high school. Staying home a little longer helped me save some money. Universities are no joke when it comes to finances. My coach Scott McCall also helped out in getting me ready for the next level.”
This story was originally published May 14, 2020 at 12:59 PM.
