Three years ago, Sydney Wycoff helped the Ankeny Centennial girls’ basketball team to a Class 5A state title.
Now, the sharpshooting guard is a national champion.
Wycoff, a 5-foot-6 freshman, scored two points and had two rebounds in 21 minutes of action on Saturday as Mid-America Christian University captured its second consecutive NCCAA women’s title. The Evangels used a 17-6 run over the last 4 minutes to rally past Brewton-Parker College (Ga.), 87-84, in the championship game at Winona Lake, Ind.
“I think winning a national championship is very rewarding–definitely an amazing experience, especially because it was only my freshman year of college,” said Wycoff. “Cutting down the net was very emotional because so much work had been put in for that moment.”
The Evangels finished with a 25-9 record. They broke the school record for most wins in a season for the third straight year.
Mid-America Christian is located in south Oklahoma City, Okla.
“I think the transition (from high school) was fairly smooth,” Wycoff said. “However, as with any freshman, you have to earn your spot and gain the confidence of your teammates. I was the only freshman on the team so expectations were set very high for me, but it was nothing out of the ordinary since I started on varsity as a freshman in high school, and the expectations were no different. The biggest change for me, I think, was the pace of the game.”
Wycoff played in all 34 games and made 12 starts for the Evangels. She averaged 4.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
Wycoff placed second on the team in assists (85) and fourth in 3-point goals (30). She shot 43.5 percent from behind the arc.
“I was very happy with my role,” Wycoff said. “I got to average 22 minutes per game, including starting at the beginning of the year when our senior point guard was injured. It was a great experience and my coaches were amazing at instilling confidence in me. I’m extremely excited and looking forward to what my role will be next year with my amazing teammates.”
Wycoff was a sophomore on the Centennial team that claimed the state championship in 2016. She made a pair of 3-pointers and had six points in the Jaguars’ 46-42 victory over Johnston in the Class 5A final.
“My high school state championship was special because our team was playing for the people that had passed away from cancer–my dad (Greg) and Amy Fontana–and those emotions were very overwhelming because it felt like (my dad) was there with me,” Wycoff said.