Callie Yohn makes the grade on and off the court

Freshman Callie Yohn has made a big impact both on and off the court in her first year at William Peace University. In just the fifth game of her collegiate career, Yohn broke the school record by recording seven blocks in a game. Less than a month later she made academic headlines by posting a perfect 4.0 grade-point average in her first semester at Peace.

Along with Derrica Jones and Krystal Williams, she is part of an impressive freshman recruiting class for coach Kelly Johnson which has stepped on the court and contributed from the first day.

“Callie has worked hard all season, she is an outstanding young lady who works hard both in the classroom and on the court,” Johnson said. “She is improving every time she steps on the court and is very competitive, which is what you want as a coach.”

The 6’0 Yohn gives the Pacers a much-needed presence in the low post. She ranks fifth in the USA South with a 9.9 rebound per game average. Yohn has five games where she’s reached double-digits in rebounds and she pulled down 20 rebounds against Salem, the second-best mark in school history, only one behind the 21 recorded by Tia Saunders back in 2004.

Yohn came to the Pacers after a standout high school career at North Forsyth, where she was a two-time Mid-Piedmont 3-A All-Conference and All-County selection. Yohn was the MVP for the Vikings in her senior season.

When asked what her biggest adjustment going from high school to college, Yohn replied, “The speed of the game and also managing harder classes along with longer practices.”

To most observers, Yohn has adjusted quite well to the speed of the college game. Just ask any of the shooters who have had 26 shots blocked how they think she is doing at her first crack in Division III.

“I love blocking shots,” Yohn said. “I feel like it gives me an advantage against my opponents in that by blocking their shot the opponent has lost their momentum and our team ends up gaining that energy and it may even cause my opponent to be afraid that I will block it the next time they think about shooting.”

Yohn leads the USA South with a 2.6 blocks per game average.

On a Pacers squad which sometimes has trouble scoring points, Yohn is taking a more active role in the offense. She’s reached double figures in scoring in three of the last four games, including a career-high 18 points against Salem. Yohn posted double-doubles in each of those three contests, as well.

In addition to being a star athlete, Yohn is excelling in the classroom and is mulling which career avenue to pursue.

“As of right now, I want to major in Communications with a minor in Graphic Design,” she said. “I'm not sure yet what I will do with this specifically but I have a couple different routes I may take; I just have yet to choose one.”

An affable individual off the court, Yohn includes singing, drawing, dancing and spending time with friends and family among her hobbies.

Yohn is a true student-athlete and is an excellent representative for William Peace University, both on the hardwoods and in the classroom.