As Grace College prepares to say goodbye to the NCCAA Tournament after hosting it for one final time this week, a pair of Lady Lancer seniors are preparing to say goodbye as well. Maddie Ryman and Kaylee Patton, the two winningest players in program history, will play their final games at the Manahan Orthopeadic Capital Center over the next few days, giving the two players the rare opportunity to not only close out their careers on their home court, but in front of their community.
Teammates since elementary school, Ryman and Patton have been outstanding representatives of basketball in the Lake City for as long as they can remember. The duo went on to have fantastic careers at Warsaw Community High School before electing to stay home to play for Grace. While that wasn’t always the plan, the pair couldn’t be happier with the choice they made.
“I was actually trying to get far away from home to try and do things on my own, but I ended up tearing my ACL,” Patton said. “Coach [Dan] Davis was the only one recruiting me at the time and I started to feel like it was my calling to come here.”
“My whole family’s gone to Grace but I wasn’t really sure. It was 50-50 between here and Spring Arbor my senior year,” Ryman added. “But after getting welcomed so warmly by my teammates, it was a no brainer.”
Coach Davis echoed his players’ sentiment.
“For two players to take a chance on a coach that’s not from around here and getting started in this community, it has meant everything to me,” he said. “These two have meant everything to this program, the foundation of our culture on and off the court, how strong they are in their faith. They’ve embraced everything that we’re all about and they’ve set a standard here.”
Ryman and Patton’s success on the court speaks for itself. Fifth-year senior Ryman is Grace’s all-time leading scorer at over 2,200 career points while also holding the Lady Lancers’ career assist record. Patton has scored over 1,000 points in her four-year career and is on the verge of becoming the 20th player in program history to grab 500 rebounds. Last season, the pair helped lead Grace to its first ever appearance in the NAIA National Tournament.
“I used to be known around town for being on the Warsaw team but now I’m known for playing for Grace. The community has been so supportive of us and it’s so fun to be able to represent our community and watch it grow,” Ryman said. “Some of the girls that we coached when they were in elementary school are on the Warsaw team now and it’s awesome to see them grow up and show them that Grace is a really great place to play too.”
Having been teammates for so long, Ryman and Patton share a bond like few others.
“We’re sisters I’d say. We’re honestly a second family to each other,” Patton said. “It’s been awesome to watch our relationship grow not just on the court but off the court as well. I feel like Christ has brought us together and I’m so happy with how much our relationship has grown.”
“I remember when I was in middle school I wanted to be held back a year so that we could play on the same team,” Ryman laughed. “When I found out she was coming to Grace I was so excited.”
This week, the dynamic duo will have one last hurrah with the final three games of their collegiate careers taking place at home for the NCCAAs. It’s bittersweet to say the least, but the seniors plan on finishing their careers strong. According to the pair, the biggest change will be not having something to work towards.
“I’m 23 years old and I’ve never woken up and not had a goal to work towards for basketball,” Ryman said. “It’s going to be very weird once it’s all over and I don’t think it’ll hit me for some time. But this is a really special opportunity because I love playing on this floor and in front of this community. It’s so cool to be able to end our careers at home in Warsaw.”
“We’re always in the weight room or on the court getting shots up, it’ll be really weird having my calendar empty for the most part,” Patton said. “But I’m so excited to be able to finish my career with this team and these girls, I’ve never been a part of a team that’s been this close in my life.”
After graduation, Patton plans on going to veterinary school to become a doctor. Ryman is uncertain of what her next step is, but is majoring in digital marketing and is getting her masters in business. As for the Lady Lancers, Davis is certain that the impact the two players have made on the program will last long after they put on the uniform for the final time.
“As many games as we’ve won, it’s the relationships and what they’ve poured into this program that mean the most to me,” he said. “They’ve opened a door and have shown the younger players in our community that Grace is a great place to play if they want to stay near home. They’ve helped create this big-time atmosphere here and they’ve paved the way for a ton of athletes to want to call Grace their home.”