Hartem's Alec Hayes to continue basketball career at Monmouth

[May 18, 2017]  Monmouth College hit the jackpot. The private, liberal arts institution located in Monmouth, Illinois, is getting the complete package in Alec Hayes. Hayes recently signed his letter of intent to play basketball for the Scots.

The future Scot will also major in Engineering at Monmouth College. 

This year on the court for the Hartsburg-Emden Stags, Hayes finished the season averaging 17.2 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game. He reached the 1,000 Point Club on January 28, 2017 in a game versus Springfield Calvary. He finished his Hartem basketball career with 1,137 points, good for 13th on the school’s all-time scoring list.

The versatile 6’5 athlete, who can play every inch of the court, also made 59 three-point field goals this season and finished 11th on the list for three-point shots made in a season.

While his basketball stats are impressive on the court, off the court Alec is every bit as impressive. At the Hartsburg-Emden High School graduation last Saturday he was the Class Valedictorian. As one classmate put it, “Alec has been the valedictorian since preschool.”

Equally important is his character. He is the most humble and kind young man you will ever meet. His quiet leadership on and off the court sets a fine example for the younger students of the Hartem community. His success does not go unnoticed, although he’s pretty shy about his accolades.

Hartem Head Basketball Coach Jason Garber, a former Stag standout himself, recognizes the potential in Hayes and knows the young student-athlete has a bright future ahead.

Hartem Head Coach Jason Garber congratulates Hayes and calls the young man “a gifted athlete” and believes, “his best years are in front of him.” 

"Alec defines the term student-athlete,” said Garber. "Alec excels on and off the court and has been an exceptional role model for student body of Hartsburg-Emden the past four years. Alec has been a team captain for the past two years and is his class valedictorian. Alec has a bright future ahead of him academically and athletically."

Garber continued with the deserving praise, "On the court, Alec is a gifted athlete and I believe his best years are in front him. He has the skill set to play inside and outside along with a great ability to score the ball, scoring over 1,100 points in his high school career. Alec continued to improve year after year and I think he has yet to peak in his performance. Monmouth College found themselves one heck of a basketball player, but even better, an exceptional person. I wish Alec and his family the best of luck at Monmouth College.”

May 9, 2017 - Hartem basketball standout Alec Hayes is surrounded by Coach Jason Garber and his parents Aaron and Jennifer Hayes as he signs his letter of intent to play basketball at Monmouth College. 

Hayes offered his own thoughts on looking ahead to Monmouth College, "The coach seemed to really like me. We made a visit there a little while back and it was a really nice campus. Everybody was very nice and I just liked it a lot.”

Looking back on his time as a Stag, Hayes said, "I loved basketball here. It was nice to go out my senior year with a winning record, finally. I am gonna miss the guys always. I’ll always remember playing with them and all the moments we had playing on this court. And this school…it really meant a lot to me. It was a great experience. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world."

In addition to playing basketball four years at Hartem, Hayes also spent the past four years playing on the baseball team and participating and going to state competition in bass fishing. Hayes was also a four-year member of FFA. Hayes even played travel basketball for the Illinois Bucks for one year.

The 2017 Hartsburg-Emden High School Class Valedictorian will major in Engineering at Monmouth College.

Alec is the oldest son of Aaron and Jennifer Hayes. He has younger, athletic twin siblings, Austin and Anna.

Congratulations and best of luck, Alec!

Just a tidbit for the readers:

Another local resident was once a basketball standout for Monmouth College. Lincoln Railsplitters basketball coach Neil Alexander graduated from Monmouth College in 1978. He was honored for his outstanding collegiate career by being inducted into the Monmouth College Hall of Fame in 1998.

According to the Monmouth College website, "Neil Alexander’s name is everywhere in the Monmouth College men’s basketball record book thanks to his 1,239 points, 572 field goals and 1,223 attempts. He also pulled down 692 rebounds, an average of eight per game through the course of his career. Alexander scored 36 points in a game during the 1974-75 season, one year after leading the Scots to the Midwest Conference championship in the 1973-74 with a sterling 13-1 record (18-5 overall) and a berth in the NCAA national tournament."

[Teena Lowery]