The 2015 Tonganoxie High School graduate had been looking at Baker University and Kansas City Kansas Community College to continue her days of playing basketball.

Then came the opportunity to play two sports.

Ahart signed in May with University of Saint Mary to play soccer and basketball.

Justin Seever, THS girls soccer coach, also coaches the women’s team at USM.

“If you would have told me at the beginning of the season, I wouldn’t have believed you at all,” Ahart said about signing to play soccer. “I didn’t think I was very good.”

Friends convinced Ahart to come out for soccer her senior year so she could take a stab at the goalie position. That didn’t end up being her favorite spot and she eventually became a center back player.

On the basketball court, Ahart played all four years at various positions for the Chieftains. She helped THS upset top-seeded Sumner Academy in the Class 4A Division I semifinals earlier this year. THS finished the season 7-15.

An all-league honorable mention selection as a senior, Ahart also participated in the Sports Highlights Unlimited Kansas City all-star game that pitted Kaw Valley League standouts against the Kansas City-Atchison League all-stars.

While at USM, Ahart will pursue a degree in nursing, something she’s wanted to do since the eighth grade.

As for her playing careers, Ahart said she thought at the beginning of her senior year that this potentially was it, this could have been her final season as a student-athlete.

“I didn’t really want that to happen,” Ahart said. “Being able to play in college is amazing.

“Playing soccer is a blessing because I never thought that would happen either.”

Ahart will look to help a Spires basketball team coming off a 12-18 season in 2014-15. Bruce Erickson, who coached 24 seasons and accumulated more than 300 victories during stops at Salina South, Ellis and Moreland. From there, he took a position on the Oklahoma State staff before coaching at University of Missouri-Kansas City. He begins his third season at USM.

Before basketball season rolls around, Ahart will be on the soccer field in the fall. Women’s soccer is played in the fall, while high school girls soccer is played in the spring.

USM went 1-14-3 in 2014.

Seever begins his fifth season as the Spires coach.

In her lone season on the THS soccer team, Ahart was part of a squad that went 6-8-2 after falling in a heartbreaker in the first round of the playoffs.