By Mitch Bach

Hometown girl

VIDEO: Kwahommies Karsten commits to hometown Rattlers

Jan 24, 2020 | 4:37 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Taya Karsten pin-pointed two options on where to begin her post-secondary athletic career.

Option A — the Medicine Hat High School senior enrolls at the University of Calgary, and potentially competes for the Dinos track and field squad.

Option B — the senior laces up with her hometown Medicine Hat College Rattlers women’s basketball team for the 2020-21 season.

It took a long time for her to come to a final decision, but after weighing the pros and cons for each option, Karsten has decided to stick to her grassroots and compete for the Black and Gold.

“I think it’ll be really great to play at the next level and be surrounded by the community,” said the aspiring kinesiology student, noting she’s practiced with the Rattlers on several occasions. “I’ve grown up here. I can still be surrounded by my family.”

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Karsten says she was accepted into both kinesiology programs, and should she decide to head to Calgary in the future, the U of C offers a great transfer option.

Her motorcycle is also here.

“My dad owns the Harley shop,” she added, noting she got her motorcycle license last year. “My bike’s here and stuff, so I can ride my motorcycle in the summer. That was actually a big (reason), that’s one of my biggest hobbies.”

But the Hatter isn’t the only Kwahommie soon to flex her post-secondary basketball muscles.

Fellow Grade 12 Tori Kaczynski is in the process of deciding where to venture following graduation.

The veteran post says she’s eying either the Rattlers, where her older sister, Brooklyn, plays or potentially signing with either the University of Lethbridge or the University of Alberta.

“It’s a huge decision because you have to look at everything, money, schooling, where you can get your degree,” said Kaczynski. “Obviously basketball and whether I can play or not… that’s a big decision for me because basketball is my life.”

Mitch Bach of CHAT Sports caught up with both basketball players to hear more about what goes into deciding where to enroll, and how life as a Hat High student has prepared them for post-graduation.