What’s new with the women’s team
Mya Fraser (She/Her) // Sports Editor
JJ Eng (They/Them) // Illustrator
The Capilano Blues women’s basketball team just started their season two weeks ago. On Friday, Oct. 20, they faced off against Langara at their home opener, winning their season opener 83 – 49.
Chris Weimer returns to head coach the team for a sixth season. Weimer served as the assistant coach for an additional six seasons before assuming the role of head coach. He is accompanied by two assistant coaches: Emma Cunningham and Curtis Allamby. They are both starting their fourth seasons alongside the team. Cunningham is a former CapU basketball player while Allamby is involved in many basketball programs over the North Shore.
Kirsten Abo, the Blues’ 2022/23 athlete of the year, has returned for a final season as one of three senior players. Alongside her are Alanya Davignon and Camie Ward.
Ward is a fifth-year student and plays as a shooting guard. When asked about the season ahead, she stated, “I’m honestly just excited to bask in my last year of collegiate athletics. Another thing I’m looking forward to this year is the change in our team’s style of play.” She went on to explain how the team is relatively short this year, and that without any players over 6 feet, it changes their game. “We will have to play small ball, which is a super fast-paced style of play that focuses on running the court.”
When asked about the team’s goals for the season, Ward stated: “As a team, we talked about winning gold at provincials, making it to nationals, and keeping the team GPA up, so we can win academic team of the year again.”
The Blues play in the PACWEST BC division which includes Camosun College, Vancouver Island University, Douglas College, Langara College, Columbia Bible College and Okanagan College. CapU will play 24 regular season games in the league before Okanagan College will host the top six teams for the provincial championship tournament. The winner of the finals, which is scheduled to be played on March 2, will go to nationals. The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) has scheduled its nationals at Lakeland College in Lloydminster, Alberta.
Last year, the team was only defeated twice in conference play. They made it to the PACWEST provincial finals but fell short 67- 61 to Vancouver Island University. Ward believes they will be one of their biggest competitors again, expressing, “VIU is always our biggest competition in the league, but the PACWEST looks significantly different this year. Many teams have rebuilt and are looking good this season. I would say aside from VIU, there have been many rumors that CBC is going to be considerably stronger this year, so I would say CBC and VIU.”
Come cheer them on this season at their home games in our gym. The schedule for the women’s basketball team can be found on the Blues website. To keep up with the team, follow them on Instagram @capuwbb.
