Kayla, a 2001 Arlington High graduate, was an outstanding high school basketball player. As a senior she was an Adidas All-America, and a Street & Smith’s and USA Today Honorable Mention All-America. Among her Arlington records are: a) single game points, 45, b) single season scoring avg., 27.4, and c) career 3-point goals, 226. She led Arlington to four Class 3A state tourneys. Other honors/achievements include: a) 1st county female to surpass 2000 career points, b) Associated Press state 1st team, c) Herald Player of the Year as a junior, and Co-player of the Year as a senior, d) Seattle Times 1st team all-state, and e) Herald All-Area 1st team 4 years.

After high school she attended U.W. for D1 basketball and by her second season was a starter and playing very well, but on New Year’s Eve suffered a cardiac arrest episode. If it had not been for her teammates performing CPR until the paramedics arrived, she may have not survived. But her second UW season was finished. After red shirting the next year, she came back and led the team in assists and scoring. As a result of her remarkable comeback performance, she was the V Foundation Comeback Award winner and the 2004 Herald Woman of the Year in Sports. She was also a PAC-10 All-Academic Honorable Mention. Then, fifteen games into her senior season (5th year), she was forced to retire from college basketball because of her heart condition.

Some high points at UW were: a) scored double-figures 13 times, b) career high 23 points, c) recipient of the Big Dawg Award, and d) Most Inspirational Player.

After earning a B. A. in Communications at U.W., she spent a year as a U. of Portland assistant coach, then as a certified King County EMT before becoming Outreach Coordinator at Hope Heart Institute, a heart disease awareness organization.

This summer, 2016, she completed a B. S. in Nursing at U.W., and she became a newlywed.