By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

Thomas More Prep-Marian senior Kaylee Hoffman, an all-state basketball and softball player, had decided to pursue a collegiate basketball career over the summer. She narrowed her choices to Fort Hays State University and NCAA Division I University of Wyoming.

"Both programs were amazing, exactly what I wanted at a college basketball program," Hoffman said.

Hoffman, though, decided to sign with Wyoming, a strong team located in Laramie, a town of 30,000 about six and half hours from Hays. Hoffman had always wanted to leave Hays and experience a new place.

"Just the little things of cooking my own food and everything," she said. "I wanted to experience that without my parents right down the block."

Hoffman signed in a ceremony at the TMP-Marian cafeteria Wednesday afternoon, becoming the first Monarch girls' basketball player to ever sign with a Division I school, according to head girls' basketball coach Alan Billinger. Hoffman, considered one of the best athletes in TMP-Marian history, is a four-year starter in volleyball, a three-time all-state softball player and a starter since her freshman basketball season. Hoffman was named first-team Class 3A all-state by the Kansas basketball coaches after she led the Monarchs to a school record 22-1 season and a No. 1 ranking in Class 3A for most of the season.

"Her work ethic and her attitude has really been her trademark," Billinger said. "She is a really good leader because she really sets good examples out there on the floor whether is in practice or in ballgames. She is just a pleasure to coach."

The 5-foot-9 Hoffman, known for her constant energy and quickness, averaged 16.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, three steals and 1.6 blocks per contest last winter. Her 381 points ranks second on the single season all-time scoring list at TMP-Marian. Hoffman tallied 344 points as a sophomore, a mark that stands fourth. She averaged 13.6 points as a freshman. Overall, the Monarchs are 50-16, including a 23-1 mark in Mid-State Activities Association play, during her three seasons.

"Everyday she just works harder and harder to make herself better," Billinger said. "On behalf of Kaylee, I really would say we would have to give a lot of tribute to her parents (Tom and Deb), too, because they have supported her and done a lot of sacrificing to get her to where she is. Her parents have played a real big role in her success as well."

Hoffman had always devoted her summers primarily to softball, but talked with her parents and decided to split this past summer between softball and basketball. In the first half of the summer, Hoffman, a left-hander who hit nine homers last spring, played softball. Then, she played basketball the second half. In mid-July, she attended the Miss Basketball Showcase Camp in Kearney, Neb., and made the All-American team.

"I wanted to see which I got more looks at," she said. "It seemed like my basketball game was going up to the next level when I played greater competition and I had been getting more looks in basketball and it just seemed like I could handle it at that next level playing girls from all over that were very good at basketball. My heart really felt like I wanted to do basketball."

Soon after the camp, Hoffman received a message from Wyoming assistant coach Kristin Becker. At the time, Hoffman knew little about Wyoming, other than former Monarch T.J. Gottschalk played football for the Cowboys. Hoffman researched the team and was interested in the program. She discovered Wyoming finished 16-14 last year, won the Women's National Invitational Tournament (NIT) in 2007, and played uptempo, a style she enjoyed. On Sept, 26, she made a visit to Laramie, took in a football game and stayed with some of the women's basketball players. The Wyoming coaches offered her a scholarship.

"Right when we drove in, everything was decked out in brown and gold, Cowboy and Cowgirl," she said. "Just seeing the support of the whole town there and everybody is about UW up there. It is really nice knowing that you are going to have all that support and the team and the girls welcomed me greatly. Felt like I clicked with the girls and the coaches, the coaches' philosophy was just what I was looking for, too."

After she returned, Hoffman had an unofficial visit with Tiger women's head coach Tony Hobson.

"Coach Hobson and the team made it very hard for me, because I always said that I wouldn't be going to Fort Hays, but with him coming there and recruiting me, it made it very hard for my decision."

About three days later, Hoffman decided she wanted to accomplish her longtime goal, experience a new environment and signed with Wyoming.

"I had looked to what I had always wanted to do in my life which was get away from Hays and experience something new on my own without my parents there to keep me up," she said. "To experience it by myself as an adult. Just going up to Wyoming, I feel like I would be able to do that."