Girls high school basketball all-stars announced
Maggie Vukojev from Blessed Trinity is one of 40 players selected to compete in the 16th Annual Niagara Girls Basketball All-Star Games. BPSN File Photo
The 16th Annual Niagara Girls Basketball All-Star Games will make a welcome return to the local sporting scene.
After a two-year absence because of the pandemic, the annual games will be played Wednesday, Dec. 14 at St. Catharines Collegiate.
The top 20 game will be played at 6 p.m. and the top 10 game will go at 7:30 p.m.
“Last year I was trying to do it but January hit and there was the COVID shutdown. I was thinking February and then it was already March and then it got to April and the kids had been out of basketball and I just couldn’t figure out how to organize it in April,” organizer Frank Keltos said.
He was determined it would return this year.
“Knowing we were going to be able to do it this year, I reached out to the coaches three weeks ago and sent them an invite to nominate their players just to make sure we got it organized by the Dec. 14 date,” Keltos said. “I am looking forward to it and all the kids that are playing on my Juel team who found out last night they were playing in it are very excited about getting back to playing this game.”
He feels it is crucial to stage the games.
“It is important, especially for the seniors, to give them that one more time to play with all the different players that they have been competing against. It is one last chance to show what they’ve got.”
Named to the Top 10 North team, coached by Frank Keltos and Adam Onclin of Sir Winston Churchill, are: Brookelyn Keltos, Yemi Oladipo and Megan Barker from Sir Winston Churchill; Jamie Addy from Governor Simcoe; Maggie Vukojev and Brianna Davis from Blessed Trinity; Ashlyn Caverly from Eden; Alex Lupish from West Niagara; Taurie Cunningham from Holy Cross; and, Mikayla Wallace from Saint Francis.
Named to the Top 10 South team, coached by Kate Harper of A.N. Myer, are: Emma Hemphill and Nicole Pullar from Notre Dame; Marielle Zapata and Mya Pierini from A.N. Myer; Julia Manlow from Saint Michael; Ava Stranges and Samantha Dino from Saint Paul; Daniella Zondag from Smithville Christian; Kaitlyn Brophy from E.L. Crossley; and, Cadence Seredine from Port Colborne.
Named to the Top 20 North team, coached by Jonathon Thorpe of Eden, are: Annika Rigby and Anna Deliyannis from Eden; Kate Smyth from Churchill; Sophia Franklin from Holy Cross; Kyla Pylypiv from Saint Francis; Emily Gebel from West Niagara; Kate Ybema from Heritage Christian; Ava Conway from Thorold; Emily Privensal from St. Catharines Collegiate; and, Amy Venneri from Denis Morris.
Named to the Top 20 South team, coached by Kristin McDonald of Saint Paul are: Nicole Dixon from Notre Dame; Mia Wendling from St. Jean de Brébeuf; Riley Mueller from Greater Fort Erie; Emma Saver from Centennial; Brooke Lennox from Saint Paul; Maia Walker from A.N. Myer; Jordan Howcroft from Saint Michael; Kyra VanGeest from Smithville Christian; Zoe Chan from Niagara Christian; and, Hannah Braye from Westlane.
Each school was asked to submit three players for consideration and a committee selected who would play in the games. Because some schools only nominated one player, the organizers decided to give a fourth all-star spot to a member of the very deep Sir Winston Churchill team that captured the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations AA gold medal.
Admission for the games is $3 for adults and $2 for students with proceeds going to Women’s Place.
Sponsors of the event are: St. Catharines CYO basketball which bought the shirts; the Brock women’s basketball team which is providing water bottles to all the participants and sponsoring player of the game awards; and, the Niagara District Referees Association which is officiating the games at no charge.
