| Hayes is AU basketball’s first-ever Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year BY MIKE UNGER
Liz Hayes |
One of the major reasons Liz Hayes cites in explaining her decision to transfer to AU two years ago is not one a Division I athlete usually mentions when switching teams—and schools. “The thing that really attracted me here was the internship opportunities that they offer,” she said. “I thought it would be a really good place to start my career.” She isn’t talking about a basketball career, although in her first season with the Eagles Hayes excelled on the court, setting school records for points in a game and a season. Basketball, while one of Hayes’s passions, takes a back seat to her school work. This year her dedication to academics was recognized when Hayes became the first ever AU basketball player to be named Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year. “I am proud of that because it was something I didn’t expect,” said Hayes, a public communications major minoring in marketing. “I’m here for an education, and I work really hard at it, so it’s a very nice award to get.” Hayes’s basketball journey began when she was a third-grader in her hometown of Easton, Pa. She was introduced to the sport by her father, Mike, who coached high school boys basketball and had his own playing career on the football team at Duke University. “I pretty much tried every sport before basketball, but it was my favorite, so I stuck with it,” she said. An excellent ball handler and solid scorer, Hayes played her first two seasons of college ball at the University of Delaware before deciding to move on. “Basketball got me thinking about transferring, but the academic opportunities I had at the institutions I was looking to transfer to really made my decision a lot easier,” she said. “I felt like I could have a better experience at a different school.” That school turned out to be AU and Hayes immediately took advantage of the internship possibilities that originally drew her to campus. Last summer she worked in the Washington Mystics’ public relations department, making such a good impression that the WNBA franchise hired her—with pay—for this summer too. “I really like dealing with the media and the players on a more personal level,” she said. “I think having my experience as a basketball player gives me a better insight and understanding of the job. They do a lot of writing, which I like, but they also do a lot of communicating with media to raise awareness about the WNBA. It’s a really good experience because I get to learn from their head public relations director. I know it’s definitely the career I want to pursue.”
Hayes receives instruction from coach Melissa McFerrin |
On the court Hayes has become one of AU’s most important players. She averaged a team-high 15 points per game in leading the Eagles to this year’s Patriot League Tournament final. This summer she’ll be working on her pull up jump shot and finishing layups after contact. “We have almost everyone returning,” she said of next year’s team. “I think we’re going to be very competitive in the Patriot League, and our focus will be to win the Patriot League championship. There will be a lot of tough teams in the league, so it’s going to be something we have to work really hard at.” A super-organized person, Hayes has learned to create—and stick to—schedules for herself. “Playing a sport has taught me a lot about time management,” she said. “We commit four or five hours a day to be in the gym or be in meetings or watch film. I think that the fact that I do have to manage my time so well now is teaching me a lot for the future when I eventually will have a family and have to manage a lot more things in my life than I do now.” Regardless of how intensely Hayes focuses on her senior season, she won’t allow her studies to suffer. The 5-foot-7-inch guard, who recorded a 3.8 GPA last semester, takes too much pride in her intellectual achievements to let that happen. “My dad, who’s very much into basketball, told me [the scholar-athlete of the year] was the award that he was most proud of that I’ve ever received,” she said. “That meant a lot to me. It’s nice to know that it was that important to him because it was important to me as well.” |
