Wyoming Area’s Kayla Kiwak signed a National Letter of Intent this month to accept a field hockey scholarship from Indiana University. Kiwak held a signing ceremony this week at Wyoming Area. Seated, from left: Chris Kiwak, father; Kayla Kiwak; Susan Kiwak, mother. Standing, same order: Wyoming Area athletic director Joe Pizano; assistant coach Melanie Leo; head coach Erin McGinley; assistant coach Kerryn Redcay; and principal Dr. Jon Pollard.
The recruiting race for Kayla Kiwak essentially ended back in January.
The Wyoming Area field hockey standout made it official earlier this month.
Kiwak, already a two-time, first-team, all-state selection with the 2020 choices pending, signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her academic and athletic careers at Indiana University on a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I scholarship.
The decision to play at Indiana came over options much closer to home, something Kiwak thought might be an issue.
“Then, I stepped on campus and felt like it was a home away from home,” said Kiwak, who first heard from the Hoosers late in her junior season.
Kiwak’s scoring was a major factor in Wyoming Area having the most successful stretch in program history during her career, including all three of its state tournament wins.
Despite having fewer games because of COVID-19 postponements and schedule adjustments, Kiwak produced 26 goals and 22 assists in her senior season to finish with 84 goals and 76 assists in her career.
“Kayla’s a lethal weapon,” Wyoming Area coach Erin McGinley said after Kiwak’s fourth-quarter goal gave the Lady Warriors a 1-0 win over Holy Redeemer in the District 2 Class A semifinals for the team’s final win. “She reads the defense very well.”
Kiwak was in the center of Wyoming Area’s frontline and expects to continue playing forward in college.
She began developing her scoring skills when first picking up the sport in fourth grade. After beginning at KaPow, Kiwak moved to the Electric Surge soon after and played with that club throughout junior high and high school.
By about sixth grade, Kiwak said she knew that pursuing the sport seriously was something she wanted to do.
“I played probably every season and every opportunity that I had, I had a stick in my hand,” she said. “I also did a lot of strength training and running on the side.”
Kiwak plans to major in biology.
Indiana went 1-7 in the Big Ten and 5-12 overall in 2019, its first season under two-time U.S. Olympian Kayla Bashore. Big Ten field hockey teams did not play in 2020 because of the pandemic.
