Mikaya Hasal will be taking her basketball skills and leadership to Turlock next fall.
On Monday, the Manteca High standout senior point guard signed a letter of intent to play for the Cal State Stanislaus Warriors under new coach Wayman Strickland.
“I’m look forward to playing (for Stanislaus State),” said Hasal, who is the daughter of Mary Jane and Erik Hasal.
She said her decision, in part, had to do with family.
“We’re pretty close,” said Hasal, who was also joined on her special signing day by her brother, Taylor, older sister Ana, and Jessica, who is her younger sister and teammate for the past year with the Buffaloes.
Mikayla Hasal is entering her fourth year as a varsity starter for Manteca High and helped lead the Buffaloes to two straight Valley Oak League championships. Last year, she averaged 10.7 points, 4.2 assists and 4.2 steals. Her new coach, Cody Norman, is looking forward to having her for that final season.
“Just that experience Mikayla brings along with her tenacity and experience is such a big plus for our program,” he said.
Included are back to Valley Oak League titles from the program established by former coach Andrea Hiatt.
She, too, was there for Hasal signing in Winter Gymnasium.
“Mikayla is a natural born leader,” Hiatt said. “She also makes everyone around her better as a player.”
Hiatt credits Hasal’s hard work and effort for her success at the high school level. Other schools to show interest included UC Merced and Occidental College.
She opted for the Division II program to be closer to home.
For now, Hasal is looking forward to her senior year and having that one last season to play alongside her sister, Jessica.
“We’ve been playing together since we were little,” she said.
Hasal credits her sister, Ana, who played at East Union, for getting her interested in basketball. Taylor, her brother, recently played for the Buffaloes under boys varsity coach Dave Asuncion.
The Hasals are basketball family.
Mikayla, who attended the Stanislaus State alumni game not too long ago, is looking forward to continuing that legacy.
