The King's Connection Magazine Volume 23 Number 3//Spring 2013 | Page 26

athletics news

athletics news

Veteran Eagles restore King’s
to rank of National Powerhouse
E

agles Women’s Basketball players
and coaches are recuperating after
a dynamite season dominating the
court. At the end of the season the
team ranked third in Canada, second in
Alberta, and had a record 19 wins and
two losses.

The team’s success is a result of
hard working players, a unique and
successful approach to coaching, and
the right mix of junior and senior team
members that included three fifth years
– Tamara Deunk, Karina Leslie
and Jessica Anderson.
After a blistering 13 - 0 start to their
season the team was cooled off by a
pair of close losses to the Augustana
Vikings. Undeterred by the losses, the
team pulled out a string of six wins to
end the regular season with an overall
record of 19 wins and scoring them a
spot in the Alberta College Athletics
Conference (ACAC) Championships.
The Eagles went into the
championships
number
two in

24 /// The King’s Connection /// Spring 2013

the province. In the first round of play
the team lost to seventh ranked Olds
College. In the end, the 2013 ACAC
Championships belonged to Olds who
beat the first, second and third ranked
teams to win the gold medal and
continue on to a bronze medal at the
CCAA Nationals in Nova Scotia.
“I was incredibly proud of how the team
handled the loss with dignity,” says Head
Coach Chad Pidhaichuk. “After
losing to Olds they were undeterred. It is
a testament to their individual and team
spirit that they were able to come back
to place fifth.”
Tamara Deunk is proud to have ended
her career as an Eagle on a high note
and credits her teammates for the
season. “The team was well balanced
with a key person in each position,” says
Deunk of why her team was successful.
“It helped that we all got along and were
focused on winning together as a team.”
As a fifth year player, Deunk recognized
the opportunity to support junior team
members in the same way she had been
supported in her junior year (2009)
by Hilary Smith (BA, ‘09),
Maia de Klerk
(BA, ‘09)

and Irene Tang (B.Com,’09). The 2009
team also had a record setting season
and brought home the first provincial
medal for women’s basketball and the
fifth provincial medal for King’s. For
Anderson, Deunk and Leslie, who were
a part of the team that won bronze in
2009, this season of learning and being
a top-tier ACAC contender offered them
their opportunity to taste success and
see fifth year leadership at work.
For the 2012-13 season, King’s
welcomed Chad Pidhaichuk to the
head coach position. Chad brought a
stability and expectation of excellence
that allowed the team to flourish. He
partnered with Jesse McLean, men’s
basketball head coach, to co-coach
both teams. “Coaching together
allowed each of us to play to our
strengths,” says Pidhaichuk.
Leslie, Anderson and Deunk are sad to
see the end of a career at King’s, but
they are proud of the work they’ve done
and the success they’ve brought
to the program. Pidhaichuk is
endlessly appreciative of the
team’s sportsmanship and
dedication. ?

2012/13 Eagles
Women’s Basketball

Record Setting Eagles

Julie Heavenor – Guard
Ina Grewal – Guard
Mackenzie Johnston – Guard
Tiana Campbell – Guard
Emma Peters – Guard
Sam Tennant – Forward
Vanessa Gulayets – Guard
Mikayla Bradley – Guard
Lauren Caryk-Bunker – Forward
Karina Leslie – Centre
Tamara Deunk – Forward
Chelsea Dyck – Guard
Jessica Anderson – Guard

Prior to 2012-13 Season:
Maia de Klerk – 3rd all-time points, 1st all-time rebounds, 9th all-time steals
Hilary Smith – 8th all-time points, 4th all-time rebounds
Irene Tang – 1st all-time assists

New Records set this Season (2012-13):
Karina Leslie 4th all-time points, 2nd all-time blocks, 6th all-time rebounds.
Jessica Anderson 1st all-time steals, 1st all time assists.
Tamara Deunk 1st all-time rebounding, 5th all-time scoring, 6th all time steals,
4th all time blocks.

The King’s Connection /// Spring 2013 /// 25