#KCACProud: Profiling Kansas athletes competing in the KCAC

Kansas Pregame is joining forces with the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference to profile Kansas student-athletes competing in the KCAC. Check out three #KCACProud profiles below and look for more athlete profiles in the coming weeks.

Terran Hoyt, Tabor College Basketball

Basketball runs in Terran Hoyt’s blood. 

Her mother, Shelly, won four consecutive state titles and 107 games at Hoxie from 2012 through 2016. Hoyt had the opportunity to play for her mom during Hoxie’s incredible run. 

Hoyt’s older sister, Jacie, is the head coach at NCAA Division I University of Missouri-Kansas City. Hoyt says both of her parents used to coach together, and currently her mom coaches at the high school level with her brother-in-law in Eureka.

Hoyt is a senior on the Tabor College basketball team who just recently wrapped up her college playing career. Hoyt transferred to Tabor from the University of Nebraska-Kearney after her sophomore year. Recently, she was selected to participate in the 18th annual Women’s Basketball Coaches Association “So You Want to be A Coach” program. The program is designed for female athletes who are interested in pursuing coaching after college. Hoyt said it is a competitive program and only 50-60 people are chosen ranging from Division I to the NAIA level.

“I’m very honored to be selected,” Hoyt said. 

Kansas Pregame caught up with Hoyt, a Communications and Business Administration major, to find out what is special about competing in the KCAC:

Question: What do you enjoy most about Tabor from both an academic and athletic standpoint?
 
Answer: What I enjoy most about Tabor is the way it has challenged me to grow in so many different aspects of life. Academically, so many different people have invested in me and taken time to know me on a personal level. In basketball, I love being a part of the culture that Coach Reed has created. I feel incredibly blessed to have the coaching staff that I do. To be able to learn from an offensive genius like Coach Reed and a coach who can know the ins and outs of every opponent like Coach Erin is truly invaluable. It is really the people here that make Tabor a very special place.
 
Q: What do you enjoy most about the KCAC and NAIA level of play?

A: I’ve been exposed to a lot of basketball, having older sisters. Jacie played at a DI, another sister, Corinna, played at the Junior College level, and then I played at the DII and NAIA level. What I know to be true, after seeing all these levels of basketball, is that NAIA is respectable and filled with talent, and the KCAC is an incredibly competitive conference. What I enjoy most about competing at this level is that I get the chance to compete at the national level for championships. I’ve also really enjoyed that it’s not life-consuming. I get to be involved on campus, have jobs, and spend time with my family. This level really allows me to be more than just an athlete.

Q: What are you most looking forward to about participating in the “So You Want to be A Coach” Program?

A: I am most excited to be surrounded by people that care about the same things that I do. I am very passionate about advancing women’s basketball and growing our game, so to be at the Women’s Final Four with like-minded people will be really refreshing. It’s also a great networking opportunity. I’m really looking forward to the chance to meet coaches who I can connect with and learn from.

Q: Your mom is a coaching legend at the Kansas high school level, and your sister is the head coach at UMKC. Are there any other coaches in your family? How big of an influence has your family been on you in regards to a possible coaching future?

A: In regards to an impact on my career choice, my mom has really been a key factor. She truly paved the way for me. She was a person who didn’t have an easy life, but just worked tirelessly to be great at something, and that something was coaching. And then, I watched my sister Jacie work really hard and put a lot of time in to get where she is. I get to reap so many benefits from the work that both of them have put in, which is really special to me. I think it’s a rare case to have role models and mentors in your career path that are family, let alone female influences like a mom and sister.

My mom taught me so much about basketball, but what she taught me is that there is way more to basketball than offense and defense. She pours so much of her time and effort into her players because she cares for them so deeply, and that is what has made the biggest impact on me. I have a deep passion for helping young females realize their gifts and talents and who they are and coaching gives me a really special platform to do that.

Hoyt shared this heartfelt social media post following the conclusion of her college career February 28th.

Kylah Comley, Sterling College Basketball

Sterling College junior Kylah Comley is now the two-time KCAC Player of the Year. This year, Comley ranks in the top-25 nationally in total assists (157), assists per game (5.4), and  total scoring (517). Comley’s 17.8 points per game ranks her 21st nationally, and her 2.4 steals a game marks her 36th in the country. 

Comley earned her second consecutive KCAC POY Award in late February, in addition to being named a unanimous All-KCAC First-Team selection. 

Sterling, ranked 20th in the nation, faced Avila Tuesday night for the KCAC Tournament Championship and lost a heartbreaker 67-65. The Warriors earned an at-large bid to the NAIA National Tournament and will play Saint Francis in Sioux City, Iowa, next Thursday, March 12th.

Comley made an immediate impact at Sterling and put the KCAC on notice as a freshman. Comley scored a career-high 38 points on Jan. 3, 2018 against Friends. Comley has scored 30 points at least once every year while she’s been in college, including a 32-point outburst on Nov. 16 this season in a 95-67 win over Kansas Wesleyan. Comley also had a team-high seven assists in the game, as the Sterling native can do much more than score the basketball.

Comley played her high school basketball just a few blocks away at Sterling High School. She was a first-team all-state selection by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association before signing her letter of intent with Sterling College.

Kansas Pregame caught up with Comley, an Elementary Education and Exercise Science major, to find out what is special about competing in the KCAC:

Question: What do you enjoy most about the KCAC and NAIA level of play?

Answer: What I enjoy most about the KCAC level is my ability to be involved in multiple things. I’m able to play two sports, be very involved in the classroom and participate in other activities on campus.

Q: As a Sterling High School graduate, what were the biggest reasons you chose to stay in town to play for Sterling?

A: Some of the biggest reasons I chose to stay in Sterling revolve around my family. I’m the oldest of four siblings and I knew if I went far away that I wasn’t going to be able to support them the way I want. I also love the community and support that the town of Sterling has.

Q: What will it take to finish strong this season?

A: To finish strong this season we will have to keep an attacking mentality. It’s really important that we keep a positive and confident mindset going into the postseason.

Q: Where has your game improved the most since your freshman year? Where do you want to improve your game the most?

A: My game has most definitely improved in my ability to change speeds and rise on my jump shot. I never had a jumper in high school like I do now and it’s one of my main threats. I want to improve on my three point shot, my confidence in my outside shooting and improve a few more moves to get myself open.

Kazden Ammons, Oklahoma Wesleyan Basketball

Kazden Ammons loves Oklahoma Wesleyan for its Christ-centered education and athletics. 

A sophmore on the basketball team, Ammons has appeared in 31 of Oklahoma Wesleyan’s 32 games this season. The Eagles are ranked 18th nationally, and faced sixth-ranked Ottawa on Monday for the KCAC Tournament Championship. They won 74-68 and earned an automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament.

Ammons comes from Conway Springs, but played his high school basketball for the Wichita Defenders. Ammons was homeschooled in high school through Deerfield Private School.

Kansas Pregame caught up with Ammons, an accounting major, to find out what is special about competing in the KCAC:

Question: What do you enjoy most about Oklahoma Wesleyan from both an academic and athletic standpoint?

Answer: What I enjoy most about Oklahoma Wesleyan from an academic stan point is the relationships I get to build with my professors and how they love us, guide us to think for ourselves and teach us about Christ. What I enjoy most from the athletic stand point is the leadership of Coach Bostwick, Coach Hartman, Coach Zinc and Coach Spaight. Coach Bostwick is on fire for God and leads our team in that direction. I love that. All our coaches are self-sacrificial and serve the team in amazing ways, just yesterday in shooting groups they went for an hour straight challenging our shots, rebounds and passes. When we finished Coach Hartman, drenched in sweat said, "I just want our team to get tougher."

Q: What do you enjoy most about the KCAC and NAIA level of play?

A: I enjoy the competitive environment and the chance to go on to win a national tournament. 

Q: In your second year of college basketball, where have you seen your game improve the most?

A: I have seen my game improve most in fearlessness, which comes from Christ. While I am still growing, knowing Christ deeper instills in me a fearless peace that cannot be shaken and I know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Q: You guys have one of the top teams in the KCAC and in the NAIA Division II. What are you most excited for about finishing this season?

A: I am most excited for finishing this season growing in four things and one big finish. These four things we have been focusing on recently. Faith instead of fear, peace instead of anxiety, praise instead of panic and Holy Spirit Power instead of depression. All of these are realized in Christ. I am excited about realizing these four things while doing our very best, playing for God not men and competing for a national title. I am excited to do all this with my brothers.

The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) is a prominent intercollegiate athletics conference comprised of 13 outstanding private, faith-based institutions of higher education across Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. The KCAC sponsors conference intercollegiate athletics in football, volleyball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's wrestling, competitive cheer and competitve dance, men's and women's indoor track and field, men's and women's outdoor track and field, baseball, softball, men's and women's golf, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's lacrosse, and men's and women's swimming.