HIGH 5 OF THE WEEK: Legend Johnson has big game off bench for WCSU

Johnson (WCSU athletics)

Western Connecticut State men’s basketball freshman Legend Johnson had a solid performance in his team’s 77-67 win over Elms on Monday night at home.

Johnson, a former Sacred Heart High School standout, scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds in 24 minutes of play. Johnson was 3-of-5 from the field and a terrific 7-of-8 at the foul line. In addition, he had an assist and a steal.
Johnson has played in WCSU’s last eight games and has seen his minutes go up overall. The 24 he played Monday are his second-highest of the season behind the 33 he had at Rhode Island College on Jan. 18. The 13 points against Elms are a season-high.
Johnson has played in nine games, including all eight conference contests. He’s averaging 6.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 18 minutes.
Sears (USJ athletics)

Elizabeth Sears, University of Saint Joseph swimming and diving

The Blue Jays finished with the best dual meet record in program history (4-2), and the junior from Bristol Central helped them do it.
Sears won one-meter diving with a score of 140.75 points during last Friday’s meet at home. Her nine points were important in a 144-126 win for the Blue Jays against Western New England University.
Sears also competed in two relays and one individual event. She was the final swimmer on a 200-yard medley relay team that finished second. She also swam the third leg on the 200 freestyle relay, which finished third. Sears was fifth in the 50 breaststroke.
Overall, Sears helped earn 16 points for USJ in the meet.

Elder (SNHU athletics)

Ashley Elder, Southern New Hampshire University indoor track and field

The junior from Bristol Central won the shot put at the Middlebury Invitational last Saturday, and she did it with a personal-best toss.
Elder’s top throw was 45 feet, 4.25 inches, and that was good enough to become her best ever. She also competed in the weight throw, where she finished third. Ironically, her best toss in the weight throw also went 45 feet, 4.25 inches.
Elder was named SNHU Female Athlete of the Week for her efforts at Middlebury.






Hylan (SHU athletics)

Kim Hylan, Sacred Heart University swimming and diving

The former St. Paul star was part of two wins for the Pioneers in their victory over Monmouth last Saturday.
Hylan swam with the 400-yard medley relay, which took first place in a time of 4:13.52. She was the anchor leg on a team that also included Anna Brown, Julia Pusateri and Fiona Maxwell.
In the 200 backstroke, Hylan claimed the top spot in a time of 2:16.43.
In the team’s last home meet on Jan. 21, Hylan helped the 400 medley relay team set a McCann Natatorium pool record time of 3:39.63. Hylan’s teammates on the relay were Lauren Somers, Emily Peter and Margaret Flaherty.
Sarah Lawton, Florida Southwestern State College softball

Lawton (Fla. SW athletics)

The former Holy Cross star hurler got a chance in the circle in her first collegiate game, and she came away with the victory for the Buccaneers.
Lawton pitched three innings and gave up a single run. She struck out five, walked five and gave up just three hits in the 3-2 Florida Southwestern victory over Pensacola State College last Friday. The game was the first the Buccaneers had played in the JUCO Kickoff Classic.
Florida Southwestern entered the season ranked third in Region 8, which it won last season.
Lawton and the Buccaneers had a rough game against No. 19 Northwest Florida State last Saturday, but she rebounded with two scoreless innings in a 12-1 rout of Florida State College at Jacksonville in the second game of the doubleheader.
In three games, Lawton has already compiled 10 strikeouts.

Statistics and information compiled from the team website of each athlete.