The University of Providence Athletic Department is mourning the loss of a former Argo women's basketball player who died in a helicopter crash in Arizona.
Katelyn Heideman, who played three years for the Argos, was one of four people who died when a helicopter crashed on Friday, January 2, 2026, in rugged mountainous terrain southeast of Phoenix, Arizona.
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In a post on social media, the university said, "With heavy hearts, the Argo family remembers Katelyn Heideman. Her smile, kindness, and spirit left an immeasurable mark on us all."
According to the Pinal County Sheriff's Office, a call came in around 11 a.m. Friday morning confirming the deaths of Heideman and her two cousins and their uncle. Investigators said there was a recreational slackline hung across the mountain range. A 911 caller said the helicopter hit that line before falling to the bottom of Telegraph Canyon. The NTSB and FAA are investigating the crash as well as working with the US Forest Service to figure out how the slackline got there.
Heideman, a native of Hermiston, Oregon, played for Providence between the 2022-23 and 2024-25 seasons.
On Tuesday, MTN Sports talked with UP coach Bill Himmelberg at the McLaughlin Center about the magnitude of the situation, and what Heideman, 22, meant not just to the program, but the university as a whole.
"Just devastation. Never lost a player before," Himmelberg said. "Kate was such a great person and her smile was contagious along with her spirit. She's a big part of our team and a big part of the university."
When the news broke, the Argos were preparing for a road contest at Mayville State.
"We were actually in the warm-up lines," Himmelberg said. "Two of our girls got a call and we heard a rumor that said, you know, Kate might have passed away in a helicopter crash."
Himmelberg added that Heideman was a fantastic teammate.
"Her cheering on the bench and the energy she brought was unparalleled with anyone else," Himmelberg said. "She was right there in the middle of everything, making sure we were going to get stuff done when somebody needed encouragement. She was there. When somebody needed some help, she was always there."
Heideman was someone who made others around her joyous, Himmelberg said.
"Her smile was so big and her heart was so big and she was so fun to be around and we had so much fun together," Himmelberg said. "She wasn't afraid to make fun of me and crack a joke with our girls or make fun of other things, and on the bench, you know, she's the first one to make a lighthearted comment and get us going and make sure our team all kind of stayed together."
Heideman did a good deal off the court at the university, as well.
"She was a resident assistant, so she touched other students here at the university," Himmelberg said. "She worked at the faculty offices as an assistant at their desk also, so it touched a lot of professors.
"This is a wide-ranging thing that's going to impact the university, Great Falls, reaching throughout the northwest where all of those players are from."
But Heideman's legacy will always live on, Himmelberg said.
"Kate will always be a piece in each of their hearts and she's never going to not be a part of our program and what this program has accomplished," Himmelberg said. "She's always going to be a part of the university and a part of each one of the players and each one of the people she touched.
"We love Katelyn, we love her family. Just praying for their family and for her mom and dad and her sister who we all know really well and love. The girls all feel for them, and just praying that during this tough time that they're okay."
Himmelberg said the team hopes to honor Heideman by wearing a patch on their jerseys, and holding a remembrance on senior night.
