GREAT FALLS — The University of Miami women’s basketball team upset top-seed Indiana on Monday to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16.
As the clock struck zero on a 70-68 victory, Great Falls native and CMR alumni Kylie Greenwell snapped into action.
“I’m on my knees courtside ready to get up and run onto the floor. Get the celebration, cell phone out, and just trying to capture that moment,” Greenwell said. “I get the court pictures, then run off the court get back to the locker room so I can get there before the team and get them coming in. So I was there. I had my cell phone out and I got coach walking in and getting doused with the water
“In that moment I’m not a fan, I’m working. You have to get the right angle. And that’s what I’m thinking about."
Greenwell is in her second season as the Assistant Director of Digital Strategy at the University of Miami. She works primarily with the Miami women’s basketball team where her job is to capture moments, and share them with Hurricane fans via digital channels.
"We do social media. Day to day posting and content creation. I take a lot photos. That's my more specialty, I’ve done it since high school,” Greenwell said. "Do some video, cell phone video, that type of stuff.”
Miami is a long way from Great Falls, and a far cry from Idaho State where Kylie spent five years on the track and field team while pursuing her undergrad and masters in sports communication. She applied to sports jobs all over the country following graduation, and landed in Miami.
Getting a chance to be front and center for some pretty high level sporting events in the ACC has been pretty surreal for Greenwell.
"One experience I will never forget is we when we got to the championship game at the ACC conference tournament last season against North Carolina State,” Greenwell said. “We were getting ready to do the walk out for everyone. And I just remember like looking around and seeing the arena packed and went ‘oh gosh, this is crazy’"
At No. 9, the Hurricanes will be the lowest remaining seed in the Sweet 16 when they face No. 4 seed Villanova on Friday night in Greenville, SC. And that’s fitting for someone like Greenwell. The small town Montana girl considers herself something of an underdog in the world of high level college athletics.
"You don't need to be at the biggest schools to break into sports. I say to people interested in getting into sports that it's all about how you apply yourself, “ Greenwell said. "I got my start taking pictures for the posters at CMR in high school like I wasn't doing anything crazy. But that's where I started. It's all about your work ethic and putting your all into what you're doing. I'm a small girl town girl from Montana and here I am in Miami and it only will go up from here."
Miami will face Villanova in the NCAA Sweet 16 on Friday at 12:30 p.m.
