Team Ontario Standouts Receive Awards at OSBA Pre-Season Tournament

Ontario Basketball recognized the two Team Ontario recipients of the 2017 Hazel Miner Award, Isabella Gaudet and Christina Morra, at the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association (OSBA) pre-season tournament this past weekend at Hillfield Strathallan College in Hamilton.

The award is presented annually to one U15 and one U17 female Team Ontario athlete who uphold the finest qualities of sport in their pursuit of athletic excellence.

Team Ontario’s pursuit of excellence this summer resulted in gold at the U15 Canadian Basketball National Championship in Regina and a silver medal for the U17 Girls at the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg.

Isabella Gaudet played an instrumental role on this year’s U15 Girls team. Competing in her first national championship, she started in every game she played, averaging 6.5 points, 2 rebounds and 1.75 assists per game. Gaudet entered her first year in the OSBA this fall as a member of Capital Courts Academy in her hometown of Ottawa. Gaudet is coached by her Team Ontario coach, Fabienne Blizzard, as Blizzard is leading Capital Courts in the program’s inaugural OSBA season.

“Isabella Gaudet was instrumental to the U15 Team Ontario’s success,” said Blizzard. “Isabella demonstrated great work ethic, attitude, communication skills, athletic ability, sportsmanship, leadership, and dedication. She always gave 110% in games and practices. Isabella is a coach’s dream. She is very open to coaching and anything that is requested of her. Isabella is a great teammate both on and off the court; she was an energy giver and a role model for her teammates. Isabella took pride in working on her game and fitness outside of practice. She made sure to charge her body with supplements like those protein powders. All her hard work paid off; she had great performances and contributions in our summer tournaments and at Nationals.”

Christina Morra is a familiar face on Team Ontario; she has won two gold medals and was named a second team all-star at the National Championships in both 2015 and 2016. This year as a member of the U17 team, she helped Ontario win a silver at the Canada Summer Games by providing a solid presence in the post and on the boards. The Mississauga native plays for King’s Christian Collegiate in the OSBA and has committed to play at Wake Forest University following the conclusion of her high school career in the spring.

“Christina is an example of what hard work and perseverance can get you,” commented Christa Eniojukan, Head Coach of the U17 Girls. “Four years ago, she was cut from Team Ontario and she took lessons from that and worked extremely hard to improve herself in all aspects: mentally, physically and emotionally. She is an excellent teammate who leads by example and brings a positive attitude on a consistent basis. She was a force on the court with a huge presence inside consistently averaging a double-double in points and rebounds. I am very proud of Christina’s growth and look forward to following her successes on and off the court for years to come.”

These two athletes are genuine examples of the qualities and skill that not only represent the Hazel Miner Award, but represent what it means to play for #TeamO.