Lehigh University Athletics
Pain, perseverance, and a Patriot League title shot
2/25/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Theirs is a story of survival and perseverance. It’s a story of hard work, determination, and mental toughness necessary to make it in this game. At one point, the group in the Class of 2004 was eight deep. Now, the number has been whittled down to three.
No, they’re not on one of those reality television shows, though their story is real. “They” are Lehigh basketball seniors Jana Ransom, Carli Toliver, and Teniece Johnson. The trio has battled through numerous injuries and through it all, they have remained the heart and soul of the team.
Jana Ransom came to Lehigh from
“We’ve got so much talent on this team,” Ransom points out. “It’s been tough with all the injuries we’ve suffered this season.”
In fact, eight Mountain Hawks have missed time this season due to injury.
Carli Toliver was quickly ascending Lehigh’s all-time three-point field goals made list. The sharpshooter had made her mark on the court with her ability to knock down the long jumper. Her senior season was supposed to be one to remember – until she tore her anterior cruciate ligament in a pick-up game the week before practice began. Her season was over before it started.
“The pain was intense,” Toliver recalls. “But the thought of knowing that my senior season was done was worse than the pain [of the torn ACL].”
Teniece Johnson also suffered a torn ACL, but her injury came midway through her freshman campaign. After going through rehab, she tore the meniscus in her right knee, missing six weeks of her sophomore season. Prior to her junior year, Johnson had surgery on both of her shins. Although she is still not 100% on the floor, Johnson gives her all. Despite being slowed by injuries and surgeries, her outlook remains positive. “Whatever comes my way, I can handle it,” Johnson explains. “I truly believe that it’s supposed to be this way, and it’s making me stronger.” So why did they stick with it? Why not give up basketball and enjoy their time as “regular” college students like five of their former teammates have done? “My teammates,” Toliver, a sociology major, answers without hesitation. “They were there to encourage me. I owe them this.” “I knew it was going to be an uphill battle,” Johnson recalls. “The doctors told me I wasn’t going to [improve]. Would I be okay with not playing? No. I love this game.” “I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it,” Ransom explains. “Of all of the freshmen coming in four years ago, I was the most mentally weak. They thought, ‘she’ll be the first to quit.’ I knew the road wouldn’t be easy, but the reward in the end is well worth it.” The hard work and time commitment required of Division I basketball have not kept the trio from success in the classroom. All three are Dean’s List students and members of the Patriot League’s Academic Honor Roll. As their time on the court at Lehigh winds down, they will come to realize they are true survivors. They made it. After the countless hours of time devoted to the program, it won’t necessarily be easy to let go. What will they miss most? “I’ll miss the road trips, especially around Christmas time when we were able to be silly in the hotels,” Ransom says with a laugh. Johnson, a marketing major with a minor in Africana studies is quick to point out that the team (and this trio) is not quite done yet. “I just want to see us win,” she says. “I want to go out with a bang, and we still have that opportunity. I would love nothing more than to have Lehigh be the team that is feared in the Patriot League.” With the perseverance this group has shown over the years, nothing should be counted out. Story by Jeff Tourial, Lehigh Sports Media Relations
