Henryetta senior Lady Knight Kaylie Hamric committed to the next level of her basketball career, signing to play with Mid-America Christian University for basketball. Hamric has spent the last four years on both the basketball court and the softball fields for Henryetta. She’s been drawn to sports her whole life with her family encouraging her to pick up basketball, softball and cheer.

“I’ve always just thought sports were fun,” Hamric said. “My family has always played sports, so they have always pushed me to play.”

Hamric closed her senior year on the basketball court, starting in 33 games for the Lady Knights. She fought hard to keep the Lady Knights on the scoreboard. Henryetta ended the 2019 season a 3-19 finish and a tough one-point loss in the first round of the Class 3A Regionals. The Lady Knights fell Oklahoma Christian School 57-56.

She has a lot of fight and she’s a sharp shooter. I mean I’ve never seen her shot the ball when she just focused,” Henryetta High School girls’ basketball head coach Glendell Threatt said. “The only part she needs to work on is the mental side of it because she has all the skill set. Once she puts her mind to it and say ‘Forget it and I don’t care.’ That’s when she just lights up. If she stays focused on that, she’s going to make some waves on the next level.”

Though the Lady Knights faced several moments of adversity in their 2019 basketball season, they had key games that defined their year. The Lady Knights fought to stay in the Okmulgee County tournament with the help of Hamric. In the girls’ consolation finals, Hamric pulled out 23 points against the Dewar Lady Dragons for a 56- 47 victory that crowned the Lady Knights the 2020 Okmulgee County Tournament Consolation Champions.

She played deep earning four 2’s and one 3-point basket. Hamric was also unstoppable at the freethrow line, completing 12 of 13 shots.

During her senior year, Hamric completed 76 field goals, including 57 2-pointers and 19 3-pointers. She also mastered the free-throw line, completing 75 percent of her free throw shots.

Not only is Hamric a powerful player on the court, but she also lent her talents to the Lady Knights’ slow-pitch and fast-pitch teams throughout her high school career. The Lady Knights had picked up the pace last slow-pitch season and made an appearance in the first round of the Class 4A State Tournament in 2019.

The 2020 season was also off to a dominant start for the Lady Knights. Seven games in and the Lady Knights saw their season stopped short due to COVID-19. However, they were able to earn a 6-1 season record, including two shutout victories, just before the end of the spring sports season.

“I honestly thought it was going really well,” Hamric said. “I think we would have made a really good run this year if we got to finish. Overall, I had a really good time anyways.”

Hamric was a dependable extra base hitter during the 2020 season. She obtained 12 hits in the seven-game season, a third of those resulted in doubles.

The Lady Knights also had a strong fast-pitch season, ending the year with a 24-8 overall record.

Hamric will be learning under MACU girls’ head basketball coach Hannah Moeller, who has just recently completed her fourth year at MACU. The Evangels went 21-11 during the 2019-20 basketball season, marking their fourth consecutive year of winning 20-plus games.

“It’s closer to home,” Hamric said, providing insight into her decision to commit to MACU. “I really loved the coach. He’s very nice and told me it’s going to be a lot like here. They’re a big family up there and I really liked that.”

The 2019-20 season was also the first year that the Evangels missed out on a NCAA National Championship appearance. For three straight years, the Evangels have garnered the NCAA Central Region Championship. COVID-19 disrupted the Evangels’ journey to their fourth consecutive NCAA National Championship tournament.

KAYLIE HAMRIC

HENRYETTA HIGH SCHOOL • SENIOR

SPORTS: BASKETBALL (4 YEARS) • SOFTBALL (4 YEARS) • CHEER (3 YEARS) FAVORITE ATHLETE: KOBE BRYANT • ROLE MODEL: MY OLDER SISTER