May 19, 2009
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. –
Kentucky softball player Molly Johnson is one of 10 players to earn an invitation to the 2009 USA Softball Women’s National Team Selection Camp. These 10 athletes will join the 27 athletes at the Selection Camp in Chula Vista, Calif., June 8-12.
On the schedule for the USA Softball Women’s National team program are several International events including the World Cup of Softball presented by KFC in Oklahoma City, Okla. July 16-20. The World Cup will feature the top four finishers from the 2008 Olympic Games including a Gold medal game rematch between Japan and the United States.
“This is such an honor that every softball player dreams about,” said Johnson. “I’m blessed to have been given this opportunity to tryout.”
Johnson has been the leader of the Kentucky program in each of her first three seasons on the squad. In 2009 Johnson was selected to the Southeast All-Region team in addition to her All-SEC First team honors. The versatile player from Tucson, Ariz., has started 164 consecutive games for Kentucky at three different positions: shortstop, third base and catcher.
“I am so excited that Molly has been given this opportunity to try-out for the national team,” said UK head coach Rachel Lawson. “She has worked incredibly hard and loves the game.”
Despite only suiting up for the Blue and White for three seasons, Johnson is arguably the best player to ever go through Kentucky’s program. She ranks first in the career record books in a number of categories including batting average (.395) and slugging percentage (.648). Additionally she ranks in the record books in the following categories: hits (6th), runs batted in (5th), doubles (2nd), triples (7th), home runs (3rd), total bases (4th), stolen bases (4th) and assists (5th).
For complete coverage of the 2009 Women’s National Team log onto www.usasoftball.com.
About ASA
The Amateur Softball Association, founded in 1933, is the National Governing Body of softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. The ASA has become one of the nation’s largest sports organizations and now sanctions competition in every state through a network of 83 local associations. The ASA has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 240,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than three million. For more information on the ASA, visit http://www.asasoftball.com/.
About USA Softball
USA Softball is the brand created, operated and owned by the ASA that links the USA Men’s, Women’s, Junior Boys’ and Junior Girls’ National Team programs together. USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and promoting these four National Teams to compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of the only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won eight World Championship titles including the last six consecutive as well as claimed two World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about USA Softball, please visit http://www.usasoftball.com/.
Stay tuned to UKathletics.com for the most up-to-date information about the UK softball team.
Additional Attendees:
Neena Bryant – Placentia, Calif.
Ashley Holcombe – Fayetteville, Ga.
Molly Johnson – Tucson, Ariz.
Amanda Kamekona – Chino Hills, Calif.
Megan Langenfield – Bakersfield, Calif.
Nikki Nemitz – St. Clair Shores, Mich.
Amber Patton – Forsyth, Ill.
Melissa Roth – Long Beach, Calif.
Taylor Schlopy – West Hills, Calif.
Maggie Viefhaus – Pacific, Mo.
