In preparation for their Canada West basketball future, the UNBC Northern Timberwolves have added their first new recruit.
After a weekend identification camp at the Northern Sport Centre, UNBC women's head coach Loralyn Murdoch offered a roster spot to point guard Jordyn Rabbitt, and Rabbitt accepted. The Salmon Arm product has already played two seasons of college-level basketball with the SAIT Trojans of Calgary.
"Coming in with two years of experience is going to be a nice bonus and she seems to be a hard-working girl and a nice girl," Murdoch said. "I think she'll be a good fit."
During the camp, Murdoch was also impressed with post player Emily Frame, currently a Grade 12 student at Victoria's Oak Bay secondary, and guard/forward Lauren Lamont, who is in her final year at Maple Ridge secondary. Murdoch told both players they have positions with the 2012-13 Timberwolves if they want them but, as of Sunday night, neither had given her an answer.
For 13 seasons, the T-wolves competed in the B.C. college league. Last September, the UNBC athletics program -- which includes men's basketball and men's and women's soccer -- was granted probationary membership in the higher-level Canada West Universities Athletic Association. The CWUAA is part of Canadian Interuniversity Sport and, pending approval by the CIS, the UNBC teams will start play in Canada West in September of 2012.
The Timberwolves, PACWEST Athletic Association champions and fifth-place finishers at the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association nationals this season, want to improve themselves in order to be as competitive as possible in Canada West. Getting a commitment from Rabbitt is the first step.
For her work with the Trojans this season, the 19-year-old Rabbitt was selected as a second-team all-star in the South Division of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference. She was second on the team in scoring, with 198 points in 18 games, and led SAIT in assists with 59. The Trojans finished the year with an 11-7 record.
In her high school days, Rabbitt played in the powerhouse Salmon Arm Jewels program and was part of a provincial-championship team in her Grade 10 year.
Rabbitt, who stands five-foot-six, said she is ready for Canada West competition next season. Playing at that level has long been one of her goals.
"I would like to compete at the CIS level because it is a faster game," she said.
Rabbitt has already applied to UNBC and wants to become a nurse.
With the addition of Rabbitt, Murdoch still has at least three roster spots left to fill. Three players -- forward Jennifer Clyne and posts Erin Beckett and Maria Neumann -- were graduating members of the Timberwolves this season, while a fourth player, guard Danielle Steel, is pursuing other playing options for 2012-13. This coming weekend, Steel will attend an ID camp at Grande Prairie Regional College.
n Last last week, three UNBC basketball players -- Clyne, Francis Rowe and Sam Raphael -- were recognized with CCAA Academic All-Canadian awards. The awards are given to players who achieve honours status in the classroom and make first- or second all-star teams in their league.
Prince George's Ashley Piggot, who plays soccer for the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack of Kamloops, was also named an Academic All-Canadian.
