Dylan Hayman: Healdsburg’s basketball superstar
HEALDSBURG, Calif. — Born and raised in the small town of Healdsburg, just an hour north of San Francisco, Dylan Hayman is an 18-year-old, 6-foot-5, 200-pound basketball prodigy. Before he graduated from Healdsburg High, Hayman played the small forward and shooting guard positions on his team, the Healdsburg Greyhounds.
Hayman proved he was at the top of the heap at Healdsburg High by having one of the most dazzling basketball careers the school had ever seen. He finished up a sensational high school career with a game-high 34 points and 17 boards, while Gavin Vogensen, another of his teammates, added 10.
“Most of the kids on the team were totally spent, but Dylan Hayman was the exception,” his coach, Yasha Mokaram, noted. “We were so lucky to have him and (to have) won, in large part due to Dylan’s ability to score and get buckets every time we needed it.”
Other members of the team made big impacts as well.
“They accepted their roles, and they played hard in games and practices,” Mokaram said. “I’ll really miss our two seniors Dylan (Hayman) and Chase (Sommer). Both are such great young men. They were like family to me these past four years and I’ll miss having them around.”
Not only was Hayman a whiz on the basketball court, but he was also a genius in his academics. He received the 4.0 honor roll award for three years and graduated with a cumulative GPA of 3.9 from Healdsburg High.
“My goal to play college basketball was formulated while watching the Jayhawks play on my TV at home,” Hayman said. “Ever since then, I have worked as hard as I can to make that dream come true. Not only on the court have I worked hard, but in the classroom, receiving a cumulative GPA of 3.9 while taking many honors and AP classes.”
Hayman, who also plays club ball with the North Bay Basketball Academy, said his goal is to play at the NCAA Division I level.
“I think Dylan is good enough to play Division I,” Mokaram said.
By 2020, Hayman had joined the 1,000-point club. In 2021, he was the Healdsburg leading scorer and went ahead to shatter the school’s 35-year-old record of 1,610 points, established in 1968 by Mark Giorgi, by finishing the season with a whopping 1,838 points to his name and ending his 4-year varsity career with a bang.
On July 5, 2021, The Chronicle named Hayman the North Bay Player of the Year. He leaves behind a powerful legacy at Healdsburg as he moves on to his next chapter on the court and in life.
That was just the beginning. The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) contacted him a week after returning from Las Vegas, his final basketball showcase. A couple of phone calls followed by a Zoom session between the university staff and Hayman’s parents resulted in the Cardinals extending an offer and Hayman accepted a day later on Aug. 5, 2021. This Healdsburg High graduate has moved on to greener pastures and is now a freshman at UIW and will join their men’s basketball team.
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.
