Story and Photos by Rusty Ellis
White County senior Lexie Golden took the next step in her academic and athletic journey on Monday, as she signed her national letter of intent to play basketball at Johnson University.
“I have been working on this since the third grade,” Golden said. “It’s really awesome to make it to this point. I’ve wanted this since I was very little, but I couldn’t have gotten here without all of my teammates and coaches that have helped me so I’m really thankful for everyone who’s been a part of this.”
Golden says the recruiting process was stressful for her, but she was ultimately happy that she found a place where she believes she can grow.
“(The recruiting process) is very rewarding at the end,” G0lden said. “I wasn’t really heavily recruited, but (Coach Bryon Lawhon) was one that I stuck with. When he reached out with the offer, I was very thankful and blessed.”
Golden’s high school coach Michael Dodgen says he believes that Johnson University is a great fit for his senior, as it’s a relatively new program that Lawhon is building up.
“Lexie is in the gym constantly,” Dodgen said. “We’re excited for her, and she’s excited…I think it’s a great fit. Lawhon has come to the Upper Cumberland consistently and he’s building the program from the bottom-up. They’ve got a 25 million dollar facility and he’s building from the ground up. I think she’ll fit in well there and not only get to get her education, but also play some basketball too.”
As far as what’s she’s looking forward to when she gets to Johnson, Golden says she really likes the fact that it’s close to home.
“I am definitely a homebody, so I love that it’s close to home,” Golden said. “It’s about two-hours away and I can handle that…it’s a very beautiful campus, and I’m looking forward to growing my game.”
