Alana Walker dislocated her knee three times playing high school softball.

It put an early end to her senior season at Bryan County High School, but it didn’t derail her dream of playing college softball.

Walker, who was an three-time All-Region 2-AA performer for BCHS as an infielder and pitcher, will be playing softball at JUCO powerhouse Darton State College after getting a tryout with the team.

“I applied there because my friend Sierra Newman was there and it’s a good school,” she said.

Newman, another former BCHS standout who just wrapped up her eligibility at Darton and set the school record for steals in the process, will play at Armstrong State next season. She helped Walker get a tryout and Walker did the rest.

“It’s always been my dream to play college ball,” she said. “And at first, that was my main scare with (the injuries). The pain wasn’t the worst part. I was scared I wouldn’t get to play again.”

Walker, a 2014 graduate, is a top-notch student, an honors graduate who took a heavy load of advanced placement, or AP, classes. She hopes to eventually become an English teacher and coach at BCHS. But starting out at Darton will give her an opportunity to learn what’s expected of college players before going on to a four-year school, Walker said.

“I like the transition. I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew my first year,” she said.

Walker said her parents, Gary and Nicki Walker, her high school coach Al Butler and travel ball coaches Barry Brown and Terry Voisine have helped her keep focused and have always been supportive of her desire to keep playing the game she loves.

“There was a time I did get burned out,” Walker said. “But what kept me going back for more were my teammates. I love playing softball with the girls. The politics can get in the way sometimes, but you have to realize it’s just a game. And it’s fun. And I get to keep playing.”