The NAIT Ooks looking for continued success in 2017-2018
The NAIT Ooks women's basketball team led by Head Coach Todd Warnick look to continue ACAC success in 2017-2018, with a combination of returning players and new additions.
Last season the Ooks finished the regular season on top of the ACAC North Division with a 23-1 record. A quarter-final loss to Medicine Hat Rattlers had them settle for 5th place at the ACAC Championships. NAIT would host the CCAA Women's Basketball National Championships for the first time in school history. Seeded 8th the host Ooks would upset the top-seeded defending National Champion Humber Hawks in the quarter-finals before falling to Dawson College in the semi-finals. They then went on to battle Humber again on the back side draw where they would fall in the Bronze Medal game to finish 4th; this marked the second consecutive top 5 finish at for the Ooks at the CCAA championships
"Last season was a season to remember with amazing accomplishments and heartbreaking losses that will shape the character of everyone who was a part of last season," said Coach Warnick
NAIT is returning the first team ACAC All-Conference guard Sydney Hurlburt for her 3rd season. Leah VandenBoogaard enters her 4th year in a key leadership role. Also returning is
Katie Waring, Malesha Petterson, and Megan Belcourt all enter their 5th and final years of eligibility and their veteran experience will be counted on in the campaign ahead. New additions include Keyano Huskies transfer Kika Greenlee who averaged 22.6 PPG in the 2015-2016 season. Warnick has also added three first years, Allie Hunder, Kaelyn Bryks & Megan Rolfe who will all be relied upon to play key roles in the 2017-2018 season.
"With a large graduating class last year this season marks a transition to new players and expanded roles for returners, but the culture of our program is embedded in the foundation of how we play," said Coach Warnick.
Warnick's squad will be hosting the Briercrest Clippers this Saturday at 1 pm in a preseason game before they head down to the Harvest Classic in Lethbridge, AB. There they will see some final ACAC preseason competition before the 2017-2018 campaign gets underway. The Ooks will open up there season at home against the Concordia Thunder on Oct.13 at 6:00 pm.