When Wake Forest women’s soccer junior forward and 2022 Konawaena graduate Caiya Hanks learned last month that she was named one of the three national finalists for the 2024 MAC Hermann Trophy, getting excited was an understatement.
“Honestly, I felt super honored and blessed,” Hanks told West Hawaii Today. “The first thing I did was I thanked God…I don’t do anything without God. I just felt really honored, because it’s such a high-profile event and it’s such a blessing to be in that company and to be recognized by all of the coaches and staff members from all across the country.”
Hanks was the first player in Wake Forest history to be nominated for the prestigious NCAA Division I award. It is considered by many to be the highest honor in collegiate soccer. While the trophy was ultimated awarded to UNC’s Kate Faase on Jan. 3, Hanks deeply enjoyed the experience of being considered for the award and attending the ceremony in St. Louis, Mo.
“To see the support that I had was really amazing,” she said.
While Hanks made school history, the nomination came as no surprise to many. In her junior season this past fall, Hanks helped propel the Demon Deacons to their most successful season ever — tying for the most total points and leading in tournament in assists in Wake Forest’s magical run to the NCAA Championship match, in which it fell to the Tarheels 1-0 after a 15-3-4 season. She also finished sixth in tournament goals.
Additionally, Hanks was finished fourth in the ACC in total points and assists and seventh in goals. She also notched four match-winning goals, which ranked third in the conference. Her 2024 season totals added up to 34 points, 12 assists and seven goals — already putting herself in the top 10 in program history in those three categories by the end of her third season.
“I did help lead this team, but I wasn’t alone,” Hanks added. “We had a large senior class, and our captains were really well-rounded players and people. And we were all on the same page. We had a common goal and common interests, and we loved each other to death. We also all love the game and playing for each other, so it was a great experience.
“It’s been such a blessing to be a part of this program and to see it grow in the time that I’ve been here. From my freshman year to now, I’ve had a lot of growth personally, but it’s really amazing to be a part of this group right now, especially seeing the culmination of all of our hard work come together last season. It was just beautiful to see.”
While Hanks is grateful for her college soccer experience on the East Coast, she admits that she couldn’t have done it without her upbringing in West Hawai’i. Admitting to often imitating her older sister, Jadyn Hanks, Caiya Hanks decided to follow her onto the pitch and try the sport for herself.
“I’m the youngest sibling, so I’ve always been one of those little sisters that just followed and copied everything my older sister did,” Hanks recalled with a laugh. “(Jadyn) was around eight years old when she started playing, and I started a year or so after.
“That got me into the sport, and I quickly found that I loved what I was doing. I felt like I learned fast enough to where I could develop my techinical and tactical parts of the game.”
She soon became a standout at Konawaena in her secondary years — being named First Team All-BIIF and Second Team All-State in soccer and breaking the fastest 100-meter and 200-meter dash on school history as a freshman in track. Hanks also played for Kona Crush Soccer, being named Kona Athlete of the Year in 2018.
“I owe everything to the coaches that I had growing up,” Hanks said of her youth. “I am a product of multiple people and coaches, so I’m very grateful for everyone who has been here along the way.”
When being recruited by Wake Forest, Hanks explained that the school seemed like a perfect fit for her goals as a player and person. She stepped onto the Demon Deacons’ pitch in the fall of 2022, and steadily improved each season — increasing her cumulative statistics across the board.
“I knew that I wanted to be challenged academically, and I wanted a rigorous athletic program while also having a social scene,” she said. “I just wanted a family-like culture where everyone was comfortable with one another and the communication was good. I wanted it to sort of resemble the community in Hawai‘i. So at Wake Forest, I felt like I got all of those things, and it’s truly the perfect place for the type of person that I am and the things that I wanted out of my college experience.”
With Hanks’ senior season on the horizon and now being one of the true veterans on the team, Hanks hope to grow even more as a leader as she concludes her collegiate career. Another goal of hers is to be named team captain in 2025.
Once she graduates in 2026, Hanks hopes to play professionally, but also has other routes in mind if it doesn’t pan out.
“Plan A is to play professionally,” Hanks said. “I just really want to continue playing the game I love. Plan B would be continuing to study poltical science, get my Master’s and hopefully go to law school.”
For any Big Island student athletes that are looking to make it big in their sport like Hanks, her advice to them was simple.
“Trust the process,” she said. “It could be a long process. It could be a short process. It’s different for everyone, but there’s so many routes now that can help you get to where you want to be — whether that be professional, semi professional, college…it doesn’t matter. So just trust that process and know that there’s so many people out there that are willing to help you along the way.”
