SEVERAL North Shore basketball players took on the country's best this summer as members of British Columbia's provincial U16 and U17 youth teams.
North Vancouver's Abby Dixon was the starting point guard for the U17 girls team as they earned a bronze medal at the national championships held Aug. 5-12 in Fredericton, N.B. Dixon was named a tournament second-team all-star as B.C. defeated Quebec 69-38 in the bronze medal game. North Vancouver's Shaun McGuinness was the team's head coach.
On the boys side North Vancouver's Chase Ruttenberg helped the province to another U17 medal, suiting up for the team as they defeated Quebec 74-73 in a bronze medal game at the national championships held in Sherbrooke, Que.
At the U16 level North Vancovuer's Ariella London, Sherrie Errico and Vanessa Botteselle helped team B.C. win the first annual Western Canadian Basketball Championships held Aug. 25 in Edmonton, Alta. Team B.C., coached by North Vancouver's Paul Chiarenza, topped Saskatchewan 64-61 in the gold medal game.
In the boys competition North Vancouver's Adam Karmali and Brayden Belleville along with West Vancouver's Austin Penrose were on the B.C. U16 team that cruised to victory at the Western Canadian Championships, topping the tournament off with a 103-64 win over Manitoba in the gold medal game.
