In Keizer, Oregon, there is one talented young lady that's helping the McNary Lady Celtics stay at the top of the Greater Valley Conference (GVC) next to number two in the state, South Salem. She dribbles the ball effortlessly with either hand. She passes the basketball skillfully dishing out assists, shoots the three-point shot very well, and is a leader on the court.
Madi is a senior this year and wears number 21 standing at 5' 8". She's also the starting point guard for her team. She is the daughter of Matt Hingston and Bonnie Davis. Her sister, Megan, graduated two years ago from Northwest Nazarene University in Idaho. Megan played four years of basketball there.
Madi was raised in Keizer, Oregon, in a middle-income-class neighborhood. The environment was fairly calm and community based. She attended Clearlake Elementary and then Whiteaker Middle School.
"In grade school I hung out with friends like Crystal Wilson, Cammie Decker, Kaelie Flores, and Reina Strand. It was pretty low-key and we had a lot of fun back in the days," Madi said.
Madi's personality is a little on the shy side at times, but she's a fearless competitor when it comes to sports. Most of her life has revolved around sports. A goal-driven young lady is an understatement ... she has a perfectionist attitude and is always finding ways to be ahead of the game.
When Madi was six years of age, she was inspired by her older sister, Megan. She would tag along to watch her sister play basketball.
"I grew up around sports and I always looked up to my sister. I watched her excel -- she did everything so well. I wanted to be like that. I watched her at Gubser Elementary when she was in the fourth grade," Madi said.
While Megan was a huge inspiration, Madi speaks highly of all her coaches. They have all been helpful and she has learned many things from them.
Madi started playing organized basketball at a very young age. Her dad, Matt, and Kaelie's dad coached a KYBA (Keizer Youth Basketball Association) tournament team. She developed into a fine player with this invaluable experience. She played with this team from fifth grade to seventh grade.
Things were going well and Madi was having the time of her life. Not only was she playing basketball, but she was also playing volleyball and involved with track and field. She was spending time with her best friends and earning all kinds of awards.
One of the biggest obstacles she would face was an emotional downturn. Her parents went through a divorce. For a thirteen-year-old child, a heartbreak like that can have a huge impact on many things in life. Madi overcame and adapted to the uncomfortable situation. Another obstacle was when Madi broke her wrist while playing at a playground. She managed to recover from that painful incident and went back to playing sports.
"Yeah, it was an adjustment at first, but now I'm used to it and it's not bad. I like how I get to have individual time with both my parents," Madi said.
By the time Madi reached the eighth grade she had surfaced among the top players in the state. She landed a spot on the Oregon Elite Team -- an AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) tournament team based out of Lake Oswego. This team played in competitive tournaments across the USA. Madi traveled to Phoenix, Nashville, Chicago, Charlotte, San Diego, and tournaments in Washington.
"This was an awesome experience! I got to travel all over -- crazy. It was a little nerve-racking at first, but I adapted well with the girls that had the same goals that I had," Madi said.
It was during those experiences that college scouts started taking a look at Madi and her abilities on the basketball court. One college in particular was Seattle Pacific University. They play in the same college league as Northwest Nazarene -- where her sister played.
Wrapping up her middle-school days, in one game Madi scored a game high of 25 points. In one game, playing with Oregon Elite she scored 20 points -- this game went into overtime.
"One of my memorable moments has to be when we beat Oregon City. All of the years that we played them we never won. Well, in the Oregon City Tournament, we finally knocked them out -- it was so amazing. We beat them in an overtime game for the championship crown!" Madi said.
Madi Hingston #21 drives past the defender.
Coming in as a freshman in 2012 at McNary High School, Madi was nervous and didn't know what to expect. Her basketball tryouts went well. What she didn't expect is how the seniors had taken her and her freshman friends in. She went on to make the varsity team and became one of the starters as a freshman. That season she had some good games and some bad games, but the experience she gained was priceless.
"I try to be as consistent as possible, not just in basketball, but also in my grades. Time management is huge. I try to find a good balance with basketball practices, games, and grades. I take grades seriously and focus on staying up with class work, " Madi said.
High school basketball has been rewarding for Madi. She has helped put the McNary Lady Celtics at a very high ranking in the state of Oregon. This week they are ranked number ten and by the end of the season possibly number five.
"It's awesome to be able to play with the girls in my team. Three of them are my closest friends. We've played together since grade school -- Kaelie Flores, Reina Strand, and Sydney Hunter. Our entire team is encouraging and supportive of each other. We like to have fun and sometimes we are even goofy -- ha-ha! But when it's time to battle on the court, we get pretty serious -- very focused," Madi said.
In 2016, her final year of high school, Madi is taking all AP (Advanced Placement) classes carrying a 3.9 GPA. She enjoys focusing on her homework at home after practice. She is the type of person that wants to eliminate stresses for the next school day. AP classes can give a student college credits depending on the college. Madi is also a member of the National Honor Society. In addition, during weekends you can find her refereeing at kids' basketball games.
Madi Hingston #21 hits a huge three-point shot at a home game.
Derick Handley is in his second year of coaching the Lady Celtics. He and his staff are doing a remarkable job keeping his team in a top-notch pace for a possible run at the OSAA State Tournament.
"Madi has developed from a good off-guard to a dominate point guard over the last two seasons. Going into her junior year she hadn't quite developed the confidence in her abilities needed to take over games making her somewhat inconsistent. Over the past season her defense has improved dramatically, she's one of our best rebounders, which is phenomenal. She's also one of our best passers. Her belief in her skills along with her teammates has been essential to our improvement as a team," Head Coach Derick Handley said.
Madi displays her resilience on and off the court and sets a fine example for the underclassmen at McNary. She has shown strong leadership and even to where she gives suggestions to the coaches, whether in plays, offenses or defenses. This season she is averaging 15 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals per game. It's pretty normal anytime she hits four or five three-balls in a game.
Her freshman and sophomore years Madi earned second team all-league honors in the CVC (Central Valley Conference). Her junior year she earned first team all-league honors in the GVC (Greater Valley Conference). This year she was first team all-league in volleyball and in basketball she has scored as many as 26 points in one game.
Several colleges expressed interest in Madi. After exploring several options she decided to sign a letter of intent with Seattle Pacific University where she'll play in the same league as her sister Megan did two years ago.
"As a dad I'm very proud of my daughter. I don't have any one highlight or moment about her that stands out. To me every time I watch her play is a highlight and my favorite moment. I'm so proud of Madi," her dad said.
Sometimes it's easy to overlook the support that athletes get from their parents. Bonnie Davis, her mom, would give Madi rides to practices and back everyday -- the support list could be a mile long.
"I'm so proud of my daughter," Bonnie said.
Madi, what is your favorite subject in school?
I like writing -- language arts.
Favorite pro basketball team?
Golden State Warriors.
Do you have a short-term goal?
I want to keep my GPA really high, and I want to make it to the state tournament this year.
Do you have a long-term goal?
Major in business in college and somehow tie it to a field in sports as a career. I also want to help my college team win a conference championship and hopefully advance to nationals.
What advice can you give a young kid that wants to play high school basketball?
Sometimes it's hard when you're at practice -- you want to do other things -- I know it sucks but it will pay off in the end. Set a goal for yourself, and when you reach that goal don't settle for just that. Set another goal and achieve it ... reach it. Don't let anything make you lose motivation.