Chatham-Kent Ballers to Lead New St. Clair JUEL Team
A new team to the Ontario JUEL League but featuring players with a lifetime of experience. The Ontario JUEL League features the best 18 U19 teams in Ontario – JUEL stands for Junior Elite League. St Clair Region applied for a franchise in the JUEL League and was granted a one year conditional franchise in the League. The franchise is conditional upon the team being competitive in the league and also being able to build a competitive franchise year after year by developing players through their affiliated club teams.
The St Clair Regional Team is made up of players from Chatham, Windsor, Tecumseh, Sarnia, Wallaceburg and Dresden – it is a true regional team from within the St Clair Region – St Clair is a designation that Basketball Ontario uses for their IDP and CP Regional structure. The team is Coached by Nicole Quigley and Paul Levac – with Carrie Carleton, Ken Dunbar and Diane Robbins as Assistant Coaches. Each coach has a specific function in the development and conditioning of the team.
Quigley, a Chatham resident, has coaching experience locally with the Chatham-Kent Wildcats and the John McGregor Panthers basketball teams. Levac served as head coach for the Windsor Valiants last season, coaching local athletes including Shauney Fischer, Erin Sarapnickas, Lindsay Elliot, and Aryn Finley. Also on the coaching staff is Carrie Carleton, who was the head coach of this year’s Kent Champion John McGregor Panthers and also coaches with the Chatham-Kent Wildcats.
The St Clair regional JUEL Team has been training since the end of the high school basketball season and OFSSA Championships. Working primarily out of Chatham but will move practices throughout the St Clair Region as gym availability allows. St Clair will be hosting a JUEL Competition Weekend this year at the St Clair College Wellness Centre Gym in Chatham – this will be a great opportunity for basketball fans from the region to watch some of the best U19 girls basketball players in the province play. The official JUEL season begins January 18 in Kitchener.
Chatham-Kent members of the St. Clair roster include Lindsay Elliot and Aryn Finley who are JUEL veterans from last seasons Windsor Valiants. Both attend Ursuline College Chatham. From the John McGregor Panthers and Chatham-Kent Wildcats are Laura Polowick, Anique Daley, Devin Demars, and Bridget Carleton. As well, Dresden’s Paige Johnston who previously played for the LKCS Cardinals and Chatham-Kent Wildcats will suit up for St. Clair.