St. John reflects on career with the Owens Express

Press Sports Editor
sports@presspublications.com

A national basketball championship and first-team, All-American honors in the NJCAA. It’s been quite a journey for Lake alum Hayley St. John at Owens Community College.
The former Flyer averaged 13.2 points and 7.7 rebounds this season, while leading the Express to the final four for the second year in a row. OCC lost to Minnesota West Community College, 76-59, in the national semifinals and 69-65 to Riverland Community College in the third-place game.
The national championship came in 2022 when the Express beat Hostos Community College, 65-56. Dasia Hardison had a game-high 21 points and St. John scored 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the game.
“It was definitely mind-blowing. We were all freshmen last year – it didn’t really hit that we were national champions,” said St. John. “It was a very neat experience.”
St. John talked about the bond she shares with her teammates, one of whom is Woodmore alum Camryn Ivy.
“I have a very close bond with almost all of them. We grew up playing together,” St. John said. “We all knew what we were capable of. They’re great teammates, but better friends, too.”
Express Coach Stephen Perry has been with the program for nearly 20 years, the last five coming as the head coach. He has a career record of 82-34 and 40-9 in the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference. In the last two years, OCC has gone 47-11 and 20-4 in the league.
“I think the success is the result of the players we’ve brought in. They’ve really kind of bought into what we’re doing during my times as an assistant and head coach. I haven’t changed the philosophy; you bring in the right type of kids. If you don’t have the right players that can execute (your vision), the plans go out the window,” said Perry. “The success builds and everyone wants to be a part of it. We can bring a recruit on campus and talk realistically about having a chance to win a national championship.
“In Hayley’s two years, we’ve held every single possible championship we could have. It’s a group of winners. Recruits come in and they want a shot at a ring. They want to cut down some nets, spread their legacy,” he said.
Before coaching at OCC, Perry was an assistant coach at St. Ursula Academy, serving as the freshmen coach and the JV coach. His teams went 127-29 and won two City League titles while finishing second three times.
“I think he’s a great coach,” St. John said. “He pushes you; he knows what you’re capable of doing. He made me strong, I had to play in the post, and I didn’t have to do that in high school.”
Joe Nowak has coached at Lake for eight years and has a 114-71 record. During St. John’s four years with the program, the Flyers won three sectional titles, a district championship, a Northern Buckeye Conference title and went 58-34 and 33-22 in the league.
“I loved my time at Lake,” St. John said. “Coach Nowak was one of my favorite coaches. He saw the potential in me and wanted the best for me.”
In 2020, amidst the coronavirus pandemic, St. John became just the third player in program history to reach 1,000 points and led the Flyers on a Cinderella run to a Division III district championship. During that run, Lake, which was seeded ninth in the district, upset the top seed, Eastwood, in the sectional semifinal, 69-65; upset Woodmore, 64-57; beat No. 2 Otsego, 68-65, in double overtime and ousted Elmwood, 45-34, in the district finals.
“Hayley played a pivotal role for us during our run to regionals and when we won the league titles,” Nowak said.
“My wife and I have three young boys who have grown up watching Hayley play, so it’s been very cool to be able to take them to her games to see her play, too,” he said. “And I hope she realized the impact that she has had, not just on the teams on which she’s played, but also on the young eyes that watched her along the way.
“She’s been fortunate to have the opportunity to play for, and win, a national championship. That’s something very few players get to do, and I am unbelievably happy for her and proud of her that she was able to do that. I hope she is proud of the effort and cherishes that time.”
St. John is eager to take the next step in her quest for a bachelor’s degree. She took 18 credit hours this semester to finish up a criminal justice major. St. John minored in psychology and plans to continue her studies with a focus on forensic psychology.
If she chooses to stop playing basketball, St. John will likely attend Bowling Green State University. If she continues to play, it could be at Tiffin University, the University of Findlay or Madonna University, located just outside of Detroit.