A look at the people whose connection to CMU extends far beyond their time as student-athletes
For many of CMU’s current coaching staff, their time as a CMU student-athlete has led them to roles that allow them to give back to the next generation. Women’s Lacrosse has found conference success over the years, growing the sport and building lifelong connections. Assistant coach Kiley Davis, who once suited up as a Maverick on the field, now mentors and coaches the ones who do.
Davis is beginning her third year at CMU as a coach, bringing her total to six in Grand Junction as a student-athlete. She grew up around lacrosse, as the sport is a hotbed of talent on the East Coast, where she grew up. She decided to pick up the stick at 10 years old in a local recreation league after watching her older sister play. Growing up in Hampstead, New Hampshire, Davis first began her collegiate career at Coastal Carolina University. However, due to the pandemic, Davis decided to look for a new home, ultimately landing at CMU.
During her time at CMU, Davis scored 136 goals, recorded 167 points and started all 48 games she played. The goals and points total mark Davis as the fourth highest in CMU history. Davis also set and holds the Maverick’s single-season record for shots at 120 in 2023.
The decorated athlete won a share of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) titles and was named to the RMAC All-Tournament team for all three years she played at CMU. Additionally, Davis shone in the classroom, earning First Team RMAC All-Academic honors her junior and senior seasons and was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team in her final season.
Although Davis’s name was in the limelight on the field, perhaps the most memorable moments were spent with her teammates off the field.
“My favorite part is the traveling,” said Davis. “As much as sitting on a bus for four-plus hours is not fun, I think that’s where you bond with your teammates and you are forced out of your comfort zone.”
Immediately after using her final year of eligibility at Lindenwood University, Davis returned to Grand Junction as a coach. Today, she looks to instill the mentality she once had that being a collegiate athlete is about so much more than the sport you compete in. Davis shares something that many coaches can’t say they do — having been teammates with athletes she currently coaches.
“I think that was a full circle moment,” Davis said. “I saw them come in as freshman, kind of just getting a feel for college and a new routine.”
As a senior, she showed leadership and tried to serve as a role model for the younger classes. When she graduated from CMU with her degree in environmental science, Davis knew she would be leaving CMU to use her fifth year of eligibility elsewhere. However, a connection was still made with the young freshman on her team — one that would be rekindled later.
“Coming back and seeing them do the same things that I did as a senior...that just made me so happy to see them kind of grow,” Davis said. “On the field, developing as players and just keep reaching for their goals, chasing their dreams, but off the field, really putting in effort on building our team culture and changing it for the better.”
Today, Davis finds herself seeing the backside of what makes a program so special. Making calls, booking hotels and making reservations allowed her to learn and adapt as a coach. Davis knew how she liked to be coached; now she understands the importance of finding out how her athletes respond. She looks to break the “mean guy” approach of coaching and instead use her age and experience to connect and foster growth.
Stepping away from playing the sport she loves has not been easy, but Davis has been able to channel her emotions into coaching. She also found a passion for marathon running, qualifying for the Boston Marathon earlier this year.
Davis found a home in Grand Junction and continues to be not just a great student of the sport, but a teacher. She has grown into a key role for the Mavericks Women’s Lacrosse Program and looks to continue being a part of the Mavily.
“You feel it from the community,” Davis said. “You’re not just the athletic department or the science department. You’re a Maverick.”
CMU continues to witness success in its athletic staff members by keeping its best talent in the program. Kiley Davis serves as an example of the Maverick spirit and the kind of heart it takes to believe in a program you once played for.