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Comet senior Payton Reams receives Amy Boley Heiter Memorial Scholarship

Press photo by John Burbridge Comet senior Payton Reams recently received the Amy Boley Heiter Memorial Scholarship during her final home basketball game. Reams led the Comets in assists and was second in rebounds. She plans to attend NIACC where she will study to be an educator. The award is in memory of  Amy Boley Heiter, lower photo, who was a star basketball player for Charles City and NIACC, and was pursuing a teaching career before dying of cancer duirng the spring of 2015.
Press photo by John Burbridge
Comet senior Payton Reams recently received the Amy Boley Heiter Memorial Scholarship during her final home basketball game. Reams led the Comets in assists and was second in rebounds. She plans to attend NIACC where she will study to be an educator.
The award is in memory of
Amy Boley Heiter, lower photo, who was a star basketball player for Charles City and NIACC, and was pursuing a teaching career before dying of cancer duirng the spring of 2015.

Press Staff Report

CHARLES CITY — Though her senior basketball season didn’t advance past the first round of the regionals, we still haven’t seen the last of Payton Reams.

In addition to being a returning letter-winner in track, Reams is due to return as the leadoff hitter and starting centerfielder for the Charles City softball team, which has placed fourth and fifth at state in the past two years.

Reams hopes to continue playing softball in college when she pursues an educational degree at North Iowa Area Community College with plans to eventually transfer to a larger school.

But it was Reams’ basketball exploits that helped her become the third recipient of the Amy Boley Heiter Memorial Scholarship.

The $500 scholarship is given to a Comet senior girls basketball player who best exemplifies the inspirational play and spirit of the former Comet and NIACC star, and who — like Amy —wants to help educate young people by becoming a teacher.

Amy Boley Heiter, the daughter of Cliff and Jean and sister of Coleman, Crystal, Matthew and Adam Boley, attended Charles City High School and graduated in 2008.  She was very active on the Comet varsity basketball team during high school, and she continued her basketball career at NIACC.

Known as a deadeye shooter, especially from 3-point range, Amy would fire up the home crowd in the old Charles City gym with her long-range bombs. She once made local headlines scoring 18 points on her 18th birthday during a game played on December 18.

In her final game as a Trojan, Amy hit six 3-point shots in the first half.

Amy was diagnosed with Synovial Sarcoma in late Oct. 2013; she was 23 years old, finishing a college career and a newlywed at the time.

Synovial Sarcoma is one of the rarest forms of soft tissue cancer in the world.  Being in the pelvic cavity made Amy’s cancer even rarer.  Amy underwent two surgeries, numerous rounds of chemotherapy, and many other medical procedures, all of that happening during her student teaching experience at our very own Washington Elementary.

She graduated from UNI on Dec. 21, 2013 with her BA in Elementary and early childhood education — she was determined to not let cancer stop her from accomplishing her goals.

Amy underwent exploratory surgery in the spring of 2014 and approximately 3 months after surgery and a couple rounds of chemo, her scans were clear.

The excitement unfortunately did not last long as the cancer came back that fall.  In October of 2015, Amy had another surgery.  Without the surgery she had only days to months.

The surgery gave Amy six months as she passed away on April 29, 2015.

Amy never quit during her battle against cancer. Her strength and her positive attitude has and will continue to inspire others.

Reams also never quit during a tough winless season. In addition to being the Comets’ most reliable ball-handler, the point-guard led Charles City in assists (59) and was second on the team in total rebounds (70) this season.

Previous Amy Boley Heiter Memorial Scholarship recipients are Sarah Barry and Bailey Mitchell.

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