After a relatively successful fall schedule playing teams in the higher-ranked Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference, the Olds College women's Broncos basketball team came back with a real commitment to winning in the latter part of the year, going 20-0 in the Alberta Colleges Athletic League, on their way to claiming the championship banner on March 11 and 12 in Three Hills.
Reg Carrick, co-coach of the team, said although the team did relatively well earlier in the year against tougher competition, some of the players on that squad didn't have the commitment that the coaching staff was looking for.
“We had to make some tough decisions. There was a handful of girls there that didn't like to go to class all the time and weren't that committed to practice and so when we came back after Christmas we were a different looking team,” he said, adding the remaining players showed excellent commitment.
“What was left was a group of really committed girls, hardworking and kids that bought into a team concept. It was amazing what they were able to accomplish. Pretty impressive run from a real hard-working group of kids,” he said.
Carrick said when he arrived at the college last summer, Jerri-lyn Chisholm decided to make the switch from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology to Olds College. Chisholm was the starting power forward when the Trojans won the ACAC championship.
“She became the captain and leader of this team and really after Christmas this team kind of took on her identity a little bit. She sets the bar pretty high for others around her,” he said, adding that everyone on the team played well after the Christmas break.
In the championship game, the Broncos held the opposition St. Mary's University College Lightning to five points in the fourth quarter, on the way to a 58-36 victory.
Chisholm, Mackenzie Taylor and Tracy Frimpong were named to the all-conference first team while Kirby Travis and Tristyn Warburton, also from the Broncos, were named to the second team.
Carrick said the program will be quite strong next year, with the hope of fielding two women's teams, similar to men's basketball this year. Many of this year's group will be returning.
“With basically a full year to recruit, we will pull that off for the fall of 2011,” he said.
Taylor and Warburton, two players who improved greatly over the season, will be back again next year.
With the expectation of full ACAC membership in 2012-13, next season the Broncos will play about 10 games against ACAC opponents while playing about 18 ACAL games in early 2012.
"Pretty impressive run from a real hard-working group of kids."Reg Carrick, co-coach, Olds College women's basketball team
