Gladstone senior Mayce Hanson (front row, middle) poses for a photo with teammates after signing her letter of intent with Bay College womens’ basketball on May 14, 2025 at Gladstone High School. Front row (from left to right) Adele Ostlund, Eva Pankonien, Hanson, Addy Blowers, Lillie Johnson. Back row (left to right) Malia Quigley, Tiahna Reynolds. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

GLADSTONE — After helping Gladstone girls’ basketball to its first state quarterfinal appearance since 2012 senior Mayce Hanson opted to continue her basketball career.

She made it official on Wednesday’s signing her letter of intent to play at Bay College for the next two seasons. 

“I’m super excited,” Hanson said. “I didn’t really know if I wanted to do this or not. Then I talked with (Bay College) coach (James) Fassett and (Gladstone) coach (Andy) Cretens a lot, and I started to like the idea (of playing college basketball) a lot. I like the way they play, and I like how they are as a team.”

Hanson, who earned Second Team All U.P. honors, served as starting point guard for the Braves, who finished 24-3. Two of those losses came to previously undefeated Negaunee, who sat at No. 1 in the U.P. for the entirety of the regular season.

Then Hanson netted 13 points as Gladstone erased a 10-point deficit to claim a 50-47 win over the Miners to bring home a district championship. The Braves continued to roll with a 68-36 win over Sault Ste. Marie and a 49-31 win over Fremont to earn a regional championship.

“She’s going to make the team better by the energy and leadership she brings on the court,” Cretens said of Hanson. “She’s going to bring a competitive nature and push her teammates in practice. She makes people around her better.”

In the classroom Hanson will pursue studies in criminal justice. She plans on becoming a detective for the Michigan State Police once her days in the court are over.

But entering the 2025-26 basketball season for the Norse will see her enter a roster loaded with U.P. talent. She joins Bark River-Harris senior Marissa Ives as incoming guards. The duo joins U.P. players Lauren Zawada, McKenzie Hoffmeyer, Anna Axtell, Makenna Hendrickson and Kadie Kaukola on the 2025-26 roster, a year after the Norse went 20-10 overall and 12-2 in conference play.

But on this particular day Hanson was still a Brave. She was surrounded by family members and six of her seven teammates from “The Great 8” as she inked her letter of intent.

“Everyone was telling me that this is huge,” Hanson said. “They’ve all been cheering me on the whole way. Even throughout the season they were there. They’re awesome.”