Kirtland Central senior Haylee Nocki signed her letter of intent to play collegiate basketball for Southwestern Community College Spartans at Creston, Iowa, with the support of her Bronco coaches and administrative staff on Thursday at Kirtland Central High School. (Curtis Ray Benally/Special to the Tri-City Record)
Kirtland Central senior Haylee Nocki signed her letter of intent to play collegiate basketball for Southwestern Community College Spartans at Creston, Iowa, with the support of her Bronco coaches and administrative staff on Thursday at Kirtland Central High School. (Curtis Ray Benally/Special to the Tri-City Record)Curtis Ray Benally

KIRTLAND – Recent Kirtland Central High School graduate Haylee Nocki, a mainstay for the school’s girls basketball program’s recent success, announced her intent to extend her academic and athletic career at Southwestern Community College in Creston, Iowa.

Nocki becomes the latest member of the defending Class 4A state champion girls basketball team to announce their next step to the collegiate level. Last month, Krista Tsingine-Yazzie, another of the integral parts of the team, signed her letter of intent to join Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas.

In addition to being one of the team’s leading scorers last season, Nocki was also one of the top defenders, averaging more than three steals per game. During the Broncos run to the state championship, Nocki scored 12 points and grabbed four steals in the Class 4A semifinal game at The Pit in a 61-38 rout over Hope Christian.

Kirtland Central's Haylee Nocki knocks down a 25 foot three-pointer in the closing seconds of the third quarter against Gallup on January 22 at Gallup High School. (Curtis Ray Benally/Special to the Tri-City Record)
Kirtland Central's Haylee Nocki knocks down a 25 foot three-pointer in the closing seconds of the third quarter against Gallup on January 22 at Gallup High School. (Curtis Ray Benally/Special to the Tri-City Record)Curtis Ray Benally

Nocki also became the latest Kirtland Central girls basketball player to reach the 1,000-point club, reaching the milestone during the Broncos regular season finale at home last February against Bloomfield. A four-year starter on the Kirtland Central girls basketball team, Nocki averaged more than 11 points per game in the past two seasons.

Nocki maintained a 3.8 grade point average and also competed in cross country, track & field, powerlifting and golf during her time at Kirtland Central. Nocki reached the state finals in each of her five seasons on the Kirtland Central cross country team.

The Southwestern Community College women’s basketball team, coming off a disappointing 4-26 record last year, will have a new head coach when they take to the court later this fall. Colorado native Colorado native Ty Curry is stepping into the head role for the Spartans after a short but successful run at Richard Bland College in Virginia.

Curry coached and taught at Richard Bland since June 2024. During his time, the team made the Region X quarterfinals in 2024-25, competed well versus ranked teams, recruited and mentored an all-region honorable mention guard, and guided four student-athletes to four-year basketball programs.

Nocki will be joined on the Spartans roster by fellow New Mexican Malaina Rodriguez, who joined the women’s basketball team after graduating from Valley High.

Kirtland Central senior Haylee Nocki signs her letter of intent to play collegiate basketball for Southwestern Community College Spartans at Creston, Iowa, with the support of her mother Dedra, brother Elyas and father Nathan on Thursday at Kirtland Central High School. (Curtis Ray Benally/Special to the Tri-City Record)
Kirtland Central senior Haylee Nocki signs her letter of intent to play collegiate basketball for Southwestern Community College Spartans at Creston, Iowa, with the support of her mother Dedra, brother Elyas and father Nathan on Thursday at Kirtland Central High School. (Curtis Ray Benally/Special to the Tri-City Record)Curtis Ray Benally