Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame
Without too much effort, it could be argued that Casey (Stepan) Hyland stands out as one of the most well-rounded student-athletes ever to graduate from Linfield University in recent years.
The 2021 Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame inductee was a rare three-sport athlete. Perhaps more impressively, Hyland thrived academically to the point that she never received a final grade lower than an ‘A’ in any of her college courses.
During her four years at Linfield that began in 2004 and culminated with her receiving a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 2008, the Vancouver, Washington, native carved a reputation as one of the most consistent and hard-working athletes to ever don a Wildcats uniform.
Hyland was a smooth-shooting point guard in basketball, a national-caliber distance runner in track and field, and an all-conference performer in cross country. She could accomplish just about anything she set her mind to.
She earned eight varsity letters and received all-conference honors in each of her three sports.
On the basketball court, Hyland totaled 717 career points over 99 games, converting 106 three-point baskets to rank fifth all-time in that statistical category. She was a fixture in the starting lineup for 75 consecutive games, finishing her career with 2,699 minutes played, third-most in program history.
As a middle-distance runner in the spring, Hyland placed among the top-five finishers in three separate events at the Northwest Conference championship meet. She went on to compete at the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships as a senior in 2008.
In the Linfield record book, Hyland ranks third all-time in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, is fourth in the 1,500-meter run and stands eighth all-time in the 800.
Though she competed in cross country for just one season, Hyland was skilled enough to place among the top-12 finishers at the 2007 NWC Championships, earning an all-conference award.
Academically, she had few equals, graduating with a spotless 4.0 grade point average. Her scholastic and athletic achievements were jointly recognized by the College Sports Information Directors of America, who appointed her a second team Academic All-American in 2008.
It’s only natural to wonder, how did Hyland balance such high academic standards while competing in sports nearly year-round?
Says Hyland “Academics were obviously very important to me. It made sense for me to give schoolwork my maximum effort. And I feel fortunate that Linfield gave me the opportunity to compete in three sports while allowing time for me to be a good student.”
Today, Hyland works as Senior Systems Engineer with Iris Practice Engine, a software company that specializes in accounting software. Since graduating from Linfield, she’s remained physically active, playing semi-pro basketball, participating in recreational co-ed league basketball, and running occasional relay races, including the Hood to Coast relay a couple of times.
Casey and her husband, Hazen, are raising Tessa Rae, 4, Rory Jo, 2.
