Team Ontario Rosters Announced for 2018 Girls’ Teams
Ontario Basketball is excited to announce the rosters for the 2018 Team Ontario Girls.
Over 450 athletes attended open tryouts across the province in January and early February to earn a spot on the U14, U15 and U17 teams. Top players from open tryouts were invited to participate in a final tryout weekend to determine the rosters.
U14 Girls
The U14 development team is full of fresh faces on both the roster and coaching staff. Returning players Cheyenne Rowe (Ajax) and Lilia Skumatova (Burlington) are joined by 13 new teammates, and veteran Team Ontario assistant coach Michelle Abella is working with head coach Jobina D’Aloisio, fellow assistant coach Hali Burns, and apprentice coach Emily Hazlett.
“The selection process for the U14 squad was a difficult one. There were so many young athletes with an abundance of talent, which is a testament to the grassroots programming in Ontario,” Coach D’Aloisio commented. “The girls selected to the team have diverse skill sets, all rooted in good fundamentals. It is the goal of the coaching staff to build on the skills these athletes already possess and introduce them to competing at the next level. Together we hope to build a culture of excellence focusing on hard work and heart.”
This summer, the U14 team will compete in various tournaments in both Canada and the United States alongside the U15 team. They will head to Montreal for the Slam Camp Summer Challenge, Chicago for the Nike Tournament of Champions, and Washington, DC for the USJN Nationals.
Learn more about the U14 Girls Team Ontario program.
U15 Girls
This year’s U15 roster features seven players from the U14 development team last season as well as Izabella Zingaro (Bolton), the sole veteran of the U15 team; Zingaro is also one of seven Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association (OSBA) players on the team.
The U14 team coaching staff from last summer take up their positions with the U15 team this year; Gord Everett returns as head coach with assistant coaches Awo Farah and Kelly Van Leeuwan, who is not only a Team Ontario coach but also a former Team Ontario athlete named as a First Team All-Star at the U17 Nationals in 2010. Jody Brown rounds out the staff as apprentice coach.
“The selection process for Team Ontario programs has historically been very challenging due to the sheer volume of talented, eager and coachable young athletes at tryouts. There was certainly no exception this year,” commented Coach Everett. “The U15 team this year features great length at all five positions, which will play an integral part in the team’s success both domestically and abroad. The focus will be on developing a cohesive unit by meshing athleticism and size with the variety of excellent fundamental skill sets that each athlete brings to the table.”
The U15 team will defend their title at the annual Canada Basketball National Championships this summer in Fredericton; Ontario captured gold at Nationals last July, beating Quebec 75-55 in the finals. The 2018 Nationals take place from August 6–11 at the University of New Brunswick.
In preparation for Nationals, the team will compete at the Slam Camp Summer Challenge in Montreal at the end of June and the Nike Tournament of Champions in Chicago in mid-July with their final tune-up taking place at the USJN Nationals in Washington, DC during the last week of July.
Learn more about the U15 Girls Team Ontario program.
U17 Girls
The U17 team looks strong with 14 players returning to the Team Ontario program, including Aaliyah Edwards (Kingston), who was named Tournament MVP last summer at the U15 Canada Basketball National Championships, and her First Team All-Star teammates Merissah Russell (Ottawa) and Callie Wright (Markham). Russell and Wright are among the 14 OSBA players on the team.
The team is led by veteran Team Ontario head coach Fabienne Blizzard along with her returning assistant coach Lexie Sananes. They are joined by assistant coach Elsa Donovan and apprentice coach Lauren Carey.
“We are very excited about our U17 team this year,” commented Coach Blizzard. “The team is made up of talented athletes from across the province who will allow us to be a threat at any position on the floor. With our athletic abilities, we will focus on defense this summer. We know that we can score the ball; we just need to make sure that we can lock it down defensively.”
The U17 team will head to Fredericton alongside the U15 Girls for Nationals in August. While the U17 Girls beat Quebec 76-53 in the finals at the last Nationals in 2016, Quebec dethroned Ontario last summer at the Canada Summer Games, winning 70-57 in the gold medal match.
The team’s tournament schedule in advance of Nationals includes Montreal’s Slam Camp Summer Challenge, Chicago’s Nike Tournament of Champions and Washington, DC‘s USJN Nationals.
Learn more about the U17 Girls Team Ontario program.
The full team rosters and coaching staff are listed below.
U14 Girls Roster
| Name | Hometown |
|---|---|
| Maya Chocano | Caledon |
| Lara Cook | St. Catharines |
| Shantavia Dawkins | Brampton |
| Dominique Ennis McIntyre | Brampton |
| Lemyah Hylton | Mississauga |
| Cyanne John | Bolton |
| Kayley Joseph-Bernard | Milton |
| Alexis Kakar | Ajax |
| Emma Koabel | Port Colborne |
| Cheyenne Rowe* | Ajax |
| Lilia Skumatova* | Burlington |
| Taija Sta-Maria | Kleinburg |
| Summer Bostock (Alternate) | Carlisle |
| Santianna Davy (Alternate) | Ajax |
| Ella Farrelly (Alternate) | Guelph |
U14 Girls Coaching Staff
| Position | Name | Hometown | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head Coach | Jobina D’Aloisio | Waterdown | Flamborough Fire |
| Assistant Coach | Michelle Abella* | Hamilton | Blessed Sacrament |
| Assistant Coach | Hali Burns | Brampton | Brampton Warriors |
| Apprentice Coach | Emily Hazlett | Fredericton, N.B. | York University |
U15 Girls Roster
| Name | Hometown | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Isaline Alexander* | Keswick | Bill Crothers (OSBA) |
| Lauren Audino* | Welland | Notre Dame |
| Kaya Charles | Hamilton | St. Thomas More |
| Quinn Hardy* | Stoney Creek | Saltfleet S.S. |
| Katie Hartman* | Oakville | King’s Christian (OSBA) |
| Abigail Jegede* | Toronto | Bill Crothers (OSBA) |
| Helena Lasic* | Brampton | TRC Academy (OSBA) |
| Teah Stupar* | Etobicoke | King’s Christian (OSBA) |
| Miranda VanderWal | Strathroy | Strathroy C.I. |
| Jadyn Weltz | Timmins | O'Gorman H.S. |
| Hayley Woods* | Windsor | Southwest Academy (OSBA) |
| Izabella Zingaro* | Bolton | Caledon Basketball Academy (OSBA) |
| Emily Anne Capretta (Alternate) | Hamilton | |
| Beloti Mbokoli* (Alternate) | Ottawa | Louis Riel (OSBA) |
U15 Girls Coaching Staff
| Position | Name | Hometown | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head Coach | Gord Everett* | Georgetown | Caledon Basketball Academy (OSBA) |
| Assistant Coach | Kelly Van Leeuwan* | Brantford | Brantford CYO |
| Assistant Coach | Awo Farah* | Ottawa | Capital Courts (OSBA) |
| Apprentice Coach | Jody Brown | Kitchener | KW Vipers |
U17 Girls Roster
| Name | Hometown | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Isabella Belvedere | Bolton | Caledon Basketball Academy (OSBA) |
| Maggie Besselink | Kingston | Holy Cross C.S.S. |
| Julia Colavecchia | Niagara Falls | |
| Rebecca Demeke* | Toronto | Durham Elite (OSBA) |
| Andrea Dodig* | Bolton | Caledon Basketball Academy (OSBA) |
| Ciante Downs* | Maple | Bill Crothers (OSBA) |
| Kayla Drummond* | Toronto | Crestwood Prep |
| Aaliyah Edwards* | Kingston | Frontenac S.S. |
| Makayla Ennis | Brampton | TRC Academy (OSBA) |
| 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) |
| Jessica Reid* | St. Catharines | Lincoln Prep (OSBA) |
| Merissah Russell* | Ottawa | Capital Courts (OSBA) |
| Maryama Turkstra* | Dundas | |
| Aerial Wilson* | Dundas | TRC Academy (OSBA) |
| Callie Wright* | Markham | Bill Crothers (OSBA) |
U17 Girls Coaching Staff
| Position | Name | Hometown | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head Coach | Fabienne Blizzard* | Ottawa | Capital Courts (OSBA) |
| Assistant Coach | Lexie Sananes* | Richmond Hill | York University |
| Assistant Coach | Elsa Donovan | London | London Ramblers |
| Apprentice Coach | Lauren Carey | Ottawa | Ottawa Elite |
Note: The U17 roster will be finalized after the Cadette National Team is selected in July.
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.