This story was written By Dominic Burns, Sports Editor, for The Globe (dglobe.com). It is republished with permission.
WORTHINGTON — Olivia Hayenga is headed to Atlanta, Georgia, to compete in a top 40 NJCAA women’s basketball camp this Thursday.
Hayenga was recognized as the Division III National Player of the Year in her first season as a Minnesota West Lady Jay.
She said she's trained hard in the summer and cited the talented players she will meet in Atlanta as a chief motivator.
The tournament Hayenga was selected to participate in features NJCAA women’s basketball players from across the country and from all divisions. Hayenga is the first Lady Jay to be selected to participate and is the lone Division III player selected this year.
The showcase is hosted at Clayton State University.
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“It’ll be a little bit different, I don’t know what to expect from D1, D2 schools — but it will for sure be some good competition,” said Hayenga. “I am just going to try and play awesome basketball. It is sometimes hard jumping in and not knowing anybody, but I mean — you just got to go and play.” All the participants at the top 40 showcase will be basketball players headed into their second year at junior college. “That's kind of the nice thing is that nobody has ever done this before,” said Lady Jays head coach Rosalie Hayenga-Hostikka. “Nobody comes back as a second year player. Everybody doesn’t know what is going on, which I think is a good thing, so that they are all kind of in the same boat of — you just got to play.” |
"I have been doing a lot this summer — probably more than I have ever done before just knowing that I have this coming up. A lot of just staying in shape — running, I am doing a bunch of jumping, lifting, anything you could possibly think of. Have to be prepared for this, you don’t know what to expect." Olivia Hayenga, Lady Jay
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Hayenga will also be immortalized in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tennessee, as her Lady Jays jersey will be on display all of next year.
“It’s going to be super awesome,” said Hayenga. “I hope mine is right next to hers (Caitlin Clark).”
Hayenga’s jersey will be shown starting in August.
“It is like a ring of honor, so all first team all-American women get their jerseys hung for a year,” said Rosalie. "So that is kind of cool. It would be kind of cool to see the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame anyway.”