HART – Surrounded by more than 50 friends, family members, teammates and coaches Friday, April 18, Hart senior Addi Hovey made her commitment to Indiana Wesleyan University official.
Hovey has long been a staple of Hart’s girls basketball team, as well as the track and field program. Starting in June however, Hovey will trade her tricorne hat and Pirate garb in favor of the Wildcats.
“I’m excited. We’ve been trying to get this (signing day) scheduled, but the weather kept backing it up,” Hovey said. “It feels good to get this out of the way, and I’m excited to see what’s still to come.”
Choosing between a swarm of D2 colleges, Hovey said Ferris State University, Davenport University and Purdue University Fort Wayne all had heavy interest. Even D1 Liberty University was interested in Hovey’s high jump talents. Ultimately, the decision came down to two of the most important things in her life: faith and family.
That led her to Indiana Wesleyan, a place where she could not only compete in both sports that she loves, but also experience life on campus alongside her older sister, Jayd.
“One of the things I’m most excited for is to get another two years with (Jayd),” Hovey said. “We really want to see how we’re able to play and grow together as teammates and siblings. When (Indiana Wesleyan women’s basketball Head Coach Ethan) Whaley was recruiting me, it became clear that this is where God wanted me to be,” Hovey said. “I wanted to play with my sister again and the culture here is perfect.”
While initially being recruited by Whaley for women’s basketball, Hovey said she always kept the prospect of competing in track in the back of her mind. When it became clear that that dream could be a reality, Hovey pounced on it.
“She’ll play basketball and then the timing actually works out really well (for track),” Whaley said. “As soon as our season is over, the track team is just starting to ramp up. It gives her the perfect amount of time to rest for a few days and get right back after it.”
The marriage between Hovey and Indiana Wesleyan seems to be a match made in heaven. With Jayd established on the team, Whaley is confident that the sisters’ bond will make for a smooth transition.
“I’ve only coached one set of siblings, and that was when I was an assistant on the men’s basketball team,” Whaley said. “This’ll be my first set of sisters. What’s really neat is Addi and Jayd are super close. We don’t get Addi if Jayd isn’t already here. Jayd is one of the most mature players I think I’ve ever coached. We tell her she’s a 40-year old in a 20-year old’s body.
“With incoming freshmen, you want them to learn the patterns and habits from upperclassmen. Addi will do that with our seniors, but it’s even better to have her sister there who she can be open and vulnerable with. I think it’ll help her acclimate quicker than a normal freshman would.”
Jayd and Addi are itching to share the court again. They haven’t been able to do so in a team setting since Addi’s freshman year at Hart, when Jayd’s senior season was cut short after suffering an injury.
Though Jayd is still recovering from a separate injury suffered last year at Indiana Wesleyan, she’s confident that she’ll be ready to go heading into the Wildcats’ official start date.
“I’ll be at about nine months post-op at the end of September, which is actually when we start practices,” Jayd said. “I can’t wait to play with her after our high school chance was cut short. I’m stoked.”
Hovey joins a Wildcats’ team that posted a 34-3 overall record in 2024-25, claiming the regular season and tournament crowns in the Crossroads League before falling short of an National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) title.
“Not a lot of colleges have the type of culture that Indiana Wesleyan does,” Hovey said. “I know I’m going to get the support I need. They call it ‘The Juice Island’ because everybody there has such a great attitude. We’re all there to not only play a sport, but to grow in our faith and glorify God in all that we do.”
