A HOST of rising Bendigo Junior Braves stars have won selection in representative squads for 2019.
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Picked from a tryout day in Ballarat last week, the athletes have earned selection into either Southern Cross Challenge (SCC), or Australian Country Junior Basketball Cup (ACJBC) events, or State Development Program – Country (SDP) squads.
The Braves’ biggest representation is at under-18 level, with eight players - Caleb Connick, Dyson Daniels, Dylan McCauley, William Smythe, Tess Barnes, Piper Dunlop, Meg McCarthy and Olivia Noter, Madeline Condron - selected in their respective ACJBC boys and girls teams team to play in Albury in January.
A further two players – Isaac Murphy and Madeline Condron – have been named as emergencies.
Three young Braves will play at the Southern Cross Challenge at the State Basketball Centre in January at under-14 or under-15 level.
Selected athletes will later be invited to attend the Victorian National Performance Program (VNPP), to assist Basketball Australia in identifying athletes who are members of national junior teams or are capable of making those teams.
The program will run until August 2019 and will be operated by elite coaches who are national-calibre coaches.
Basketball Victoria’s basketball operations manager Grant Wallace said the country contingent would set up their elite basketball journeys in tandem with the SDP selections.
“Southern Cross Challenge and Australian Country Junior Basketball Cup have been important steps for our elite country athletes as they progress further into the country high performance pathway,” he said.
“Selection into SCC/ACJBC from Country Victoria is an amazing achievement and coupled with the State Development Program, it showcases our best juniors and gives them an opportunity to become better players and people on and off the court.”
Southern Cross Challenge and Australian Country Junior Basketball Cup have been important steps for our elite country athletes as they progress further into the country high performance pathway.
- Grant Wallace
Southern Cross Challenge
Under-14: Bryce Goudge.
Under-15: Martin Steen, Kaleah Bonnano.
Australian Junior Country Cup
Under-14: Oliver Eaton, Eddie Fleming, Lavinia Cox, Jacalia Dettmann.
Under-16: Macey Eaton, Jacob Nihill, April Eeles, Caitlin Richardson.
Under-18: Caleb Connick, Dyson Daniels, Dylan McCauley, William Smythe, Isaac Murphy (emergency), Tess Barnes, Piper Dunlop, Meg McCarthy, Olivia Noter, Madeline Condron (emergency).