Hard work pays off for Weinert
Madalyn Weinert was a fixture in the Brock gym every day at 7 a.m. from May until early August working on her basketball skills before heading out for eight hours of work at her father’s tool and die shop and then baby sitting.
After work, the 20-year-old would return to Brock for team practice and to lift weights afterwards.
“It was lot of extra hours in the gym this summer,” she said.
Most of the time it was a solo workout focusing on different moves, dribbling and shooting and on occasion she would jump in and train with the Brock men.
That Weinert is a driven individual is an understatement.
“I am a very Type A personality and I am totally a perfectionist. I like to work on things, implement them and be the best version of myself so I can put the team in the best position. At the end of the day, it is a team game and if I am playing at my best and everyone else is playing at their best then hopefully that gives us the greatest chance at winning and moving on.”
That work paid off in a big way for the Eden graduate.
In terms of personal accolades, Weinert is at the top of the heap after three seasons of Ontario University Athletics play.
The 5-foot-10 guard/forward named to the OUA All-Rookie Team her first season, was a Second Team All-Star in 2022-23 and this week she was named the OUA Player of the Year and a First Team All-Star.
The medical sciences major joined Sam Keltos (2021-22) and Melissa Tatti (2019-20) in winning player of the year honours after leading the nation in points per game (22.5) and blocks per game (2.0) and placing second in the OUA in minutes played (32.5) and assists (4.5). She was also fifth in the OUA in rebounds (9.6) and assists (4.5).
“She had a great season,” Brock head coach Mike Rao said. “I consider the season very successful for our team. A 17-5 record throughout the league was very, very good and everything we did rested on her shoulders. We did well because Madalyn did well.”
Weinert’s scoring average has climbed to 22.5 from 17.8 in her sophomore season and 9.8 in her rookie season thanks to her development and the fact that Brock has been adding more talent around her.
“She has grown as a player. It is her third year and you can’t forget that,” Rao said. “The older you get, the better you get. As you get older, you learn a little bit more about the game, you become a little stronger and quicker and you become a lot smarter. She has always had a motor and now she is learning how to control it a little bit more.”
The medical sciences major is thrilled with the award.
“I was obviously super excited. Not many people get to achieve that in their career let alone being able to do it in their third year. I am proud of how that reflects on the team.”
Weinert knows without team success she wouldn’t have been considered for that award.
“I attribute it to the girls who showed up every day and allowed me to be me in times when it was difficult and not just in times when it was easy. I am so thankful for this team and how they have embraced not only myself but how we have been able to embrace each other.”
Her early morning work was obviously a big part of winning the award.
“I think it all stems from being able to handle the ball better, being able to get myself out of difficult situations and then finding the right people. It’s ball handling and it’s my vision of the court and being more comfortable with the ball allows me to keep my head up and find the girls better.”
Rao believes the next step in her progression will be to become a better perimeter shooter.
“Right now, she has so many positives. She boards the ball well, she scores well and everything is really good inside and that is because she is smart and she attacks the rim offensively and defensively,” he said. “As soon as she gets a little better on the perimeter, probably at the three, she will become a player that probably can’t be stopped.”
Weinert agrees with that assessment.
“That will definitely be one of my goals this summer and also my pull-up game is something that I will be working on.”
She is in the midst of a two-week break and then she will be getting back to work on reaching the next level in her development.
Weinert is enjoying every step of the way in a sport she can’t get enough of.
“I love that it is so competitive and that every day I get to grind. There is always something I can do to get better. I love the team part of it and I always have a group of girls around me that support each other and lift each other up. When times are tough we are there for each other. And I love that it is an aggressive, gritty sport.”
