A trio of Abbotsford high school female basketball talents have been scooped up by post secondary schools for the fall.
Bateman’s Jayden Gill, along with Yale players Tana Pankratz and Brooklyn White, have recently signed on the dotted line.
Gill will be joining Langley’s Trinity Western University Spartans, while Pankratz and White will now team up on the University of Victoria Vikes.
@BatemanBball Jayden Gill Officially signed on with @TWUSpartans! Proud of her hard work and process to get to this point. @BCHoopGirls @AbbyNews @AbbotsfordSD @htsumura @malgill68 @BenLypka @SportAbbotsford pic.twitter.com/LYwFsWZ8ek
— Dan Village (@dvillage2) December 5, 2018
Gill helped lead Bateman to a Grade 9 girls provincial title in 2015, and also competed on Team BC at the U17 Canada Basketball National Championships last summer. She helped that team earn a bronze at the event in New Brunswick.
Gill also helped the Timberwolves win the Victoria City Police Basketball Tournament in January, and was named the most valuable player at that event.
Gill also led Bateman to second-place showings in the senior girls division at the last two Abbotsford Police City Basketball Tournaments, losing both times to Pankratz, White and the Yale Lions.
White announced her commitment to the Vikes on Dec. 12, and comes to the program after several strong years with both the Lions and with the B.C. Finest elite basketball program.
“Brooklyn is a great athlete and has a huge upside at the next level,” stated Vikes head coach Dani Sinclair on the program’s website. “She is strong, has good instincts and is versatile to play in different positions. We are very excited to welcome her to our program and look forward to working with her next season.”
White has been named the female athlete of the year for her age group at Yale in 2014, 2015 and 2017, and was also named the Lions top defensive player in 2015 and 2018.
“I am beyond excited to the join the Vikes next year,” White said. “After my first visit to the campus, I could picture myself being here for my post-secondary education and basketball career. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to play for the coaching staff.”
She said she plans to study education and kinesiology while enrolled at the school.
We are very excited to be able to finally share that Brook has officially signed with UVIC!!!! So proud of u Brook!!! Can’t wait to see what the next 5yrs bring!! Time to stock the closet with some UVic swag!!! @bballwestcoast @BCHoopGirls @BCHoopScoop @YaleBasketball pic.twitter.com/pB29f7Z8su
— Chris White (@vankam3) December 9, 2018
White and Pankratz helped the Lions to an 11th-place showing in the senior girls provincials the past two seasons.
Pankratz has also had a stellar run at Yale, helping the team qualify for the provincials last year with a 68-50 win over Nanaimo in a wildcard game. Pankratz also earned a second team all-star nod for her efforts with the Lions during the Fraser Valley regionals last year.
She has also excelled with the BC United basketball club, suiting up for that program’s elite basketball team in 2017 and 2018.
The trio competed in the finals of the recent Abbotsford Police City Basketball Tournament, with White and Pankratz’s Lions taking down Gill’s Timberwolves 79-48 in the final.