EPCHS Alum In The Spotlight: Kacey Gardner, Class Of 2018

EVERGREEN PARK, IL — Kacey Gardner recently became the first girls basketball player from Evergreen Park Community High School in years to play at a professional level. She traces much of her success back to her time on the court as a Lady Mustang.

“My focus was always basketball,” said Gardner, who now plays for the Fayal Sport Club on an island in Portugal.

Gardner played basketball at EPCHS under Head Coach Bruce Scaduto, who remains at the helm of the program to this day. He was instrumental in helping Gardner on her path to success and will always have “a special place” in her heart, she said.

“Duto always pushed me to play my best in every practice and every game,” Gardner said. “I can still hear him constantly yelling my name each game in the back of my mind. One thing he never had to ask of me was to hustle and give everything I had… I always knew he cared about my well-being outside of basketball, but he always made sure I had everything I needed to succeed in life and in basketball.”

The 2017-2018 Lady Mustang squad was a particularly special one. The team went 24-3 in Gardner’s senior season, amassing the highest winning percentage in program history. Gardner vividly remembers a number of her teammates from that year who made the experience even better.

“One thing I will always appreciate is playing with two very special people in my life; Samariah Jones-Tinsley and Alandria Frison,” Gardner said. “We played together from 7th grade until seniors in high school, along with Nyssa Wagner. Whenever you saw one of us, the other two were never too far behind.”

“We bonded in so many ways,” she added. “From team dinners before every home game, to the bus rides back to school after a good road win. I will always love every one of my former teammates.”

Gardner continued her basketball career in college at Lakeland University in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, where she broke the school record for assists.

“The coaches, especially Amber Peterson, showed a lot of interest in me,” Gardner said of her decision to attend Lakeland.

“Everyone was so nice and genuine and that was very important for me,” she said. “It is never about the quantity, but the quality of people that you are around… There are so many people from Lakeland that I keep in contact with and that is what I love most about that school. They are my home away from home and I know if I ever needed anything, they would not hesitate to help me.”

Gardner just joined Fayal Sport Club this past December, but has already made an impact on the team. She scored 14 points in his first game overseas, and has lofty goals for the current season.

“As a team, we strive to get better each practice and not make the same mistakes,” she said. “We learn from every game and focus on how to work together to succeed. As a point guard, I have very high expectations for myself. I am my biggest critic and it is what drives me to get better every day.

“I pride myself in making great passes, putting my teammates in positions to be successful, and leading by my actions rather than words. Right now, we are focused on winning the last three games to make it to the next round. I have lots of faith in this team that we will get the job done.”

Gardner plans to “see where my skills take me,” in life and in basketball, with a goal to continue to play professionally until deciding to go into coaching.

Her advice for current student-athletes at EPCHS:

“To any athlete that gets a chance to read this, anywhere that you get the opportunity to continue playing the sport that you love, embrace it. Everyone’s journey is different, and comparison is the thief of joy. Not everyone will play at a D1 or D2 school, but that should not stop you from striving for the things that you want.”