Former Columbia HS girls’ basketball legendary coach Johanna Wright to be honored in North Carolina

MAPLEWOOD, NJ – At Columbia High School, Gene Chyzowych in soccer and Len Klepack in track and field are generally regarded as the top coaches in school history.

But another name that belongs on that list is Johanna Wright in girls’ basketball. During her long tenure at the Maplewood school, CHS was a perennial contender for conference, county and state honors. The 1997-98 Cougar team, led by Wright’s daughter, Jazmine, a prolific scorer, and point guard Stacey Townsend, might have been one of the best in state history. That winter, CHS fell to Mendham in the state Tournament of Champions finals.

Wright, whose late husband, Lonnie, was a legend at South Side (Shabazz) in the early 1960s, will receive a special honor later this summer. On Aug. 26, Johanna Wright will be among the honorees at the North Carolina Historically Black Colleges and Universities Living Legends Scholarship Gala. The event will take place in the Grand Pavilion of the Embassy Suites in Winston-Salem.

“I’m extremely humbled  to be considered a Living Legend,” said Wright, who is a graduate of Bennett College, in Greensboro. “To be mentioned in the same breath with basketball greats such as Earl Monroe, Al Attles and Curly Neal stopped me in my tracks.”

Monroe attended Winston-Salem State University, Attles went to North Carolina A&T State University, and Neal attended Johnson C. Smith University. In all, 11 schools will be represented at the August gala.

COUGAR TALES – Johanna and Jazmine Wright are both members of the CHS Sports Hall of Fame… Attles starred at Weequahic in the mid ‘50s.

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Rick Bliwise

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