Our very own In Our School/In Our Town editor Kiley Capstraw has committed to Yale University to play basketball! Capstraw has played a vital role on our girls basketball team through her first two seasons and is looking to break the scoring record in her last two seasons. Last season Yale finished with a 19-8 record and went 9-5 in the Ivy League. After not being able to compete in the Ivy League Tournament and possibly the national tournament,  Yale will look to improve on their record and make a run in the tournament in the future with a strong team and new additions like Capstraw. Let’s learn more about our basketball star and her commitment.

When did Yale first give you an offer and when did you actually commit?

They offered me in April and I committed November 8th.

Were there other schools you were considering or was it always Yale?

I narrowed it down to four schools: Princeton, Villanova, Yale, Dayton. Princeton just recently committed a girl in my class who plays my position, Villanova I was unsure about, and Dayton was too far. When I got on the Yale campus I knew I could see myself going there and that it was the school for me. 

What was your visit like? Was it official or unofficial?

Due to the pandemic I couldn’t be in contact with any coaches, so I had to do my visit with just my family and it wasn’t official or unofficial. We were able to facetime the coaches and set up maps and watch videos at every stop. It was a really cool and innovative way to get to know the school during a visit in the middle of a pandemic. I really enjoyed it because I got to figure out my way around the campus. 

How has Covid impacted your recruiting process?

I really wasn’t able to visit any schools in the summer and fall like I had planned. In July I was also supposed to travel a lot to different tournaments around the country and I wasn’t able to. Even the local tournaments that I went to, there were no coaches at. 

Were you always looking for an Ivy League school or was it something else about Yale that drew you to the school?

I wasn’t just interested in the Ivys. I had an instant connection with the coaching staff. My parents knew similar people, so we already had some personal connections. The coaches seemed really excited and passionate about me and their team. 

Explain how the recruiting and admission process works with Ivy League schools.

Basically at Ivy League schools they can’t give you athletic money, so it would have to be through other ways like academic scholarship. It is essentially the same thing as offer, just they’re offering a roster spot. Then they offer support through the admissions office. 

Are you nervous about a tough academic load at a school like Yale?

I’m more excited for the challenge to test my mental strength. I know it will be difficult but I’m ready to embrace the challenge.

How have you been academically and athletically preparing for college?

I have been doing a lot of studying for the SAT, along with taking AP and honors courses. For basketball, I changed the way I eat because I can see a dramatic improvement in my athletic performance when I eat better and fill my body with the right nutrients. I am also working on getting faster and stronger by taking crossfit classes and speed and agility training.