National Championships Roster Announced for U17 Girls Team Ontario
There’s one week to go until the U17 Girls National Championships tips off on August 6 in Fredericton! Team Ontario has been working hard this summer in preparation with multiple training camps across the province and tournaments in Montreal, Chicago and Washington.
While Team Ontario is the defending champion over Quebec at the last Nationals in 2016, Ontario won silver at the Canada Summer Games last summer behind Quebec.
Team Ontario has a talented roster to help them get to the top of the podium this year with the majority of players competing in the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association (OSBA) during the school year.
U17 Girls Team Ontario Roster for 2018 National Championships
| Name | Hometown | School |
|---|---|---|
| Isabella Belvedere | Bolton | Caledon Basketball Academy (OSBA) |
| Maggie Besselink | Kingston | Holy Cross C.S.S. |
| Andrea Dodig* | Bolton | Caledon Basketball Academy (OSBA) |
| Ciante Downs* | Maple | Bill Crothers (OSBA) |
| Kayla Drummond* | Toronto | Crestwood Prep |
| Isabella Gaudet* | Ottawa | Capital Courts (OSBA) |
| Kaillie Hall* | Hamilton | Lincoln Prep (OSBA) |
| Cassandra Joli-Coeur* | Johnstown | Capital Courts (OSBA) |
| Emily Martindale | Ancaster | Lincoln Prep (OSBA) |
| Mide Oriyomi* | Hamilton | King’s Christian (OSBA) |
| Kali Pocrnic | Oakville | Lincoln Prep (OSBA) |
| Callie Wright* | Markham | Bill Crothers (OSBA) |
Missing from the roster are five top athletes in the province who were named to the U17 Women’s National Team: Rebecca Demeke (Durham Elite), Aaliyah Edwards (Frontenac Secondary School), Makayla Ennis (TRC Academy), Merissah Russell (Capital Courts), and Aerial Wilson (TRC Academy). The players made an impact with the team at the FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup in Belarus from July 21–29.
The 2018 U15 & U17 Girls National Championships takes place at the University of New Brunswick from August 6–11. Ontario is seeded second in Pool A alongside Quebec (1), Manitoba (3), and Alberta (4). Team Ontario first takes on Manitoba on August 6 at 2:45 p.m. ET (3:45 p.m. AT). Their second game of pool play on August 7 will be determined by the result of their first game.
To #GetToKnowTeamO, check out Ontario Basketball’s Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for a profile of each athlete on the U17 Girls team.
Our U17 "Get to Know" collection, presented by @Nike, is now available on Facebook!
Get acquainted with the 12 ladies who will be suiting up for #TeamO at next week's National Championship in Fredericton.
📸: https://t.co/FFUoYWiwFk#OntariosVeryOwn #GetToKnowTeamO pic.twitter.com/SAS22UGfzq
— Ontario Basketball (@OBABBall) July 31, 2018
Check back tomorrow for the U15 Girls roster.
About Team Ontario
Team Ontario consists of the top male and female basketball players in the province in the U15 and U17 age categories, and the teams are a continual medal favourite at the annual Canada Basketball National Championships. Team Ontario’s coaching staff also represents some of the top coaches in Ontario. Between the four teams, Team Ontario has won gold at nearly 75% of the national championships since 2002.