Jackson signs with Chattanooga State

A dream came true on Friday, Jan. 16, according to Cierra Jackson.
The Unicoi County High School Lady Blue Devil softball standout made things official by signing to play collegiate softball at Chattanooga State Community College for the 2015-2016 season during a ceremony hosted in Erwin.
Jackson and her teammates are approaching the upcoming softball season at Lady Devil Diamond and knocking out the signing process was key before the season begins, she said.
“I was just amazed by the way everyone acted,” Jackson said when asked about her visit to the school. “The equipment, campus, everyone was friendly; it was just awesome.”
With the success the Lady Blue Devils have had over the years, Jackson will see similarities joining up with Lady Tigers. Chattanooga State, under head coach Blythe Golden, finished the 2013-2014 season by placing third in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national tournament and won the Region VII championship with a 55-8 record.
In the Tigers’ conference, Jackson will reunite with former teammate Brooke Strother, a current freshman at Walters State.
“My confidence,” Jackson stated about what’s helped her reach this point. “Coach Quentin Styles helped me with my confidence. Coach Grady Lingerfelt has helped me tremendously in all my four years playing and I’m so excited about finishing my career here on a bright note and moving on to Chattanooga State.
“They are a very good school,” she added. “They’re competitive. They want to win and that’s what I want to do.”
Jackson, who is projected to play third base for the Lady Tigers, developed into a college prospect with her work ethic, Lingerfelt said.
“She’s going to go to a school that does very well on the junior college level,” he said “She’s going to know a lot of people down there she’ll play with and against. It’s a good athletic program and she’ll receive a good education, too.”
While a third baseman by trade, the power behind the bat will be a heavy asset heading into the upcoming season and will translate to the collegiate level, Lingerfelt added.
Jackson had some words for the upcoming Lady Blue Devils potentially working toward a collegiate career.
“Play hard, work hard and never give up,” she said. “Always work to your potential.”
For the upcoming season for CSCC, the Lady Tigers return 10 sophomores off last year’s team.