Growing up in Freeland, Michigan, senior guard Kadyn Blanchard was always surrounded by sports.
Her dad played basketball and baseball at Olivette, and Blanchard herself grew up dribbling a basketball while she watched TV. Starting in fourth grade, Blanchard began playing travel basketball, competing for several different teams throughout her time in the program, which helped her secure a college scholarship.
Her high school career was full of accolades and success, as in 2020, she was awarded the MLive Saginaw Girls Basketball Player of the Year and led Freeland to the Division 2 state title game in her junior year. As a senior, she led Freeland to the 2020 Division 2 regional final before the season was canceled, averaging 20 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 2.5 assists.
Blanchard then decided to commit to Ferris. She spoke about her recruitment and why she chose Ferris.
“I got on campus for my visit and the girls made me feel welcome, like a family,” Blanchard said. “That was super important to me. I also didn’t want to go somewhere huge where I wasn’t going to have that family feel and be able to get to know my professors and stuff like that. Relationships are really big for me, so I love the size of Ferris.”
As a freshman in the 2020-21 season, Blanchard averaged 14.6 points per game while adding 2.3 assists as well. The following season in her sophomore year, she bumped that up to 16.3 points per game while keeping the 2.3 assists average.
Senior guard Elle Irwin talked about the type of teammate Blanchard is.
“Kadyn is the kind of teammate who makes everyone around her better,” Irwin said. “She shows up every single day ready to give her best with a positive attitude that lifts the entire team. I’m so thankful to have someone like her on the team because her energy, consistency, and dedication set the standard. Off the court, she is a great friend and someone I will always go to for advice.”
Senior guard Mia Riley seconded Irwin’s statement.
“Kadyn is the type of teammate that is hardworking and driven,” Riley said. “You can always trust her to give her best effort and leave everything out on the court. She is also very optimistic and has a great outlook on life, making her a joy for everyone to be around. I’ve been blessed to have her as my teammate in all of my years at Ferris.”
As a senior in the 2024-25 season, Blanchard averaged 17.5 points per game with 3.1 assists per game. She only played in 13 total games and four conference games, as she tore her ACL in the middle of the season. Before her surgery, Blanchard wondered how she would make it through such a difficult time, especially because she still had to be a leader for the team when she didn’t want to be in the gym.
Blanchard shared what she learned from her injury and how her relationship with God helped her the most.
“I learned so much from it, and so many different perspectives of the game,” Blanchard said. “I was able to contribute from more of a coaching standpoint. I have really good people surrounding me, and I honestly grew my relationship with God a lot more. I can’t do it myself, so I found my strength through him, and he’s put good people in my life to help me get through things.
Blanchard spoke about how detrimental the injury was to her life and how she was able to get by.
“It was definitely the worst thing I’ve ever been through in my entire life, but just knowing that God is always going to be there for me, and that anything on this Earth is not worth the fact that he gave his one and only son to save us from our sins,” Blanchard said. “We don’t deserve that but he has unconditional love for us. My relationship with him is the biggest reason why I made it back.”
Blanchard loves being a Bulldog with the culture that Ferris State has and how the teams support each other. Athletes from different sports would come to basketball games and support each other in the weight room as well. Blanchard likes how all the athletes understand what each other go through on a different level.
With her final year of college, Blanchard wants to be in the moment with her teammates since she says they’re the reason she came back, as well as to stay healthy. The ultimate goal for Blanchard is to win a National Championship, and she believes they have the team to do it.