ONE of the South East’s talented basketball players has continued to show she has what it takes to reach the professional level after taking part in a national competition recently.
Emily Winter has returned from the Australian Under 18 Basketball Championship in Geelong full of pride and ready to tackle the next challenge.
The Millicent and District representative player earned her selection following a strong performance at the Australian Country Championships at Albury in January.
From there, Winter – who was rewarded with co-captaincy – committed to weekly training’s in Adelaide where her and the remainder of her team mates gelled before the national competition.
South Australia finished ninth out of 13 teams at the championships, which was a positive results for the side after drawing tough sides in Victoria Metropolitan, Queensland South, Western Australia Metropolitan and New South Wales Metropolitan in their first rounds.
Winter stands at 179cm and as a result normally plays a quick-guard position, but found herself filling the centre spot due to her defensive strength.
Up against many bigger opponents – such as 193cm Victorian and Australian Sapphire Isabel Anstey – Winter showed her defensive intensity and ability to out-rebound those who are taller in stature.
Victorian Metropolitan went on to win the championships, but Winters’ SA Country side defeated Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory and Tasmania to finish off the carnival well.
The recent winner of the Sally Jane Flett award for South East Coast Basketball League (SECBL) for most women’s A Grade votes for a player Under 21, Winter will now turn her focus to the next season of SECBL and the upcoming Country Basketball League competition for her next challenge.
