If you weren’t a regular viewer of the Olympics in Beijing last month, haven’t kept up with campus athletic news, or a combination of both, chances are high you’re unfamiliar with the name of softball standout, Johana Gomez.

But if I were to tell you to watch a softball practice session and note the player that competes with the heart of a champion, chances would be equally high you’d distinguish her right away.

Gomez, who recently arrived at Lee on Aug. 30, is the product of a bold offseason move made last spring. She brings impressive power and an accurate arm to the Lady Flames, who are hungry to build off of last season’s successful campaign when a young and injury-depleted crew battled deep into the Region XIII Tourney.

Gomez’s arrival comes only weeks after posting solid contributions for a Venezuelan team making its first appearance on the Olympic stage. In four outings, Gomez compiled a 6.30 ERA with 12 earned runs and five strikeouts and played a major role in keeping Venezuela’s medal round hopes alive after blanking Canada 2-0 deep into the tournament.

“We beat Canada…it felt really good,” said Gomez.

Although Venezuela would eventually finish in the bottom half of the standings, Gomez admitted she was proud of being able to represent her country.

Now, as she shifts gears from the global spotlight to a more regional setting, Gomez is learning how to adjust to new faces and new teammates.

“They’re really cool, they’re really nice and they help a lot…they know [my] English isn’t really good, so they speak really slow[ly],” said Gomez.

Teammate and longtime friend Hernanza Ruiz played a significant role in recruiting Gomez to Lee from Southeastern Community College in Iowa.

“My friend, Hernanza [Ruiz], called me, so [I said] ‘Yeah, let’s do it! Why not?’” said Gomez on why she chose to come to Lee.

Gomez is expected to anchor a developing rotation for the Flames, alongside Sara Mitchell, Brittany Rowe and Tiffany Walker. With the loss of Jessica Kerr and Sarah Warren, Gomez will more than likely be the go-to ace Coach Russell counts on to deliver clutch performances next season.