WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SIGNS TWO MORE RECRUITS

Janelle Traber with MEI

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (ANNOUNCEMENT)
THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2010
RECRUIT SIGNING

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SIGNS TWO MORE RECRUITS

LANGLEY, British Columbia – Trinity Western University women’s basketball coach Cheryl Jean-Paul announced two more recruit signings Thursday as the newly minted Spartans bench boss rounded out her 2010-11 recruiting class. Joining the Spartans this fall will be Chelsey Olsen of Fanny Bay, B.C. and transfer Janelle Traber of Abbotsford, B.C.

Olsen and Traber join Rachelle Briscoe and Rochelle Thoutenhoofd as the four fresh faces that will join the Spartans for the 2010-11 campaign.

Janelle Traber

After sitting out for the past season, Traber is antsy to get back on the court. The 5-foot-9 guard, who last played at the University of Lethbridge during the 2008-09 season, comes to TWU with a fresh slate and is a player who Jean-Paul hopes can make an immediate impact on the hard court.

“Janelle Traber is a great addition to our program for the upcoming 2010-11 season,” Jean-Paul said. “I am excited to have her join Rochelle [Thoutenhoofd] and Rachelle [Briscoe] as an experienced and motivated group of recruits. Janelle also brings a renewed desire to compete at the CIS level and will provide a competitive edge to our roster.

“I think she brings a shooting prowess and a scoring touch that will be a great asset in the style of play that I like to teach and she is ready to be a part of something exciting as we change the basketball culture of the women’s program.”

As a first year player with the Pronghorns in 2008-09, Traber averaged 2.0 points per game while playing 8.8 minutes per game. But after a year away from competition, Jean-Paul says Traber is ready to take the next step in her basketball career as a Spartan.

“She is renewing her perspective on how to be a champion at this level, and I’m excited that she is choosing Trinity Western where a foundation of excellence academically, spiritually and athletically is core to how we want to move our program ahead.

“She has been working hard on court and in the work-out room this spring and has really been a positive influence on her teammates in terms of motivating them to work alongside her. Her passion for the game is unquestionable and I’m excited to see where her game will take her within this program.”

Traber comes to TWU after playing her high school years at the Mennonite Educational Institute (MEI) where she was named team MVP in both her Grade 10 and Grade 12 seasons.

She was also a member of the U15 BC provincial basketball team and the U16 and U17 BC regional teams.

Chelsey Olsen

Chelsey OlsenOlsen comes to TWU as something of a jack of all trades. When asked to state what position she plays, she said “I played all five positions on my team during the past two years.”

So, while the graduate of Mark R. Isfeld Senior Secondary will join the Spartans formally as a guard, the 5-foot- 8 Vancouver Island product brings a whole toolbox full of assets and experience.

Olsen, who will join older sister Tiffany on the TWU women’s basketball team, averaged 33 points per game and 14.3 rebounds per game in her final year of high school, which included a season’s best game in which she garnered 48 points and 27 rebounds.

“Chelsey is a great example of the quality of athlete and person we’re looking for in building our program at Trinity,” Jean-Paul said. “She is a great student, has a great work ethic and she truly wants to develop into a Godly woman within our community.”

Olsen comes to TWU as the only “straight out of high school recruit” for the 2010-11 season, which will give her a unique opportunity to learn from an experienced group of talented players.

“She understands that the first year is one of adaptation and learning, developing athletically and emotionally, and we look forward to supporting her through that process,” Jean-Paul said.  “Having her sister Tiffany on the team will be an interesting dynamic. She has someone to look after her and look up to, but also someone who will be able to challenge her and I’m excited to have them both work together to better themselves.

“Chelsey’s basketball experience has provided her with great leadership opportunities and, as the only true rookie for this upcoming season, she will have older players that are ready and able to help her understand the game at this next level.”

While Olsen’s on-court accolades include being named the Island Seniors All Star Classic Game MVP in 2010 and to the Sr. Girls Island Championship all-star team in 2009, her efforts off the court are also of glowing note.

Since Grade 10, she has maintained a 4.0 GPA and in Grade 11 was awarded the Academic Pillar Award for having the top marks in her entire grade.

The signing of Olsen is not only a boon to the future of the Spartans women’s basketball program, but it is also an opportunity she has long been hoping for.

“For the past few years I have felt as though God has been leading me towards furthering my education and basketball career at TWU,” Olsen said. “I’m attending Trinity because I know I will be challenged as a basketball player, follower of Christ and as a student. I really enjoy the environment Trinity offers and I’m greatly anticipating this opportunity for growth.”

About TWU:

Trinity Western University, located in Langley, B.C., is a not-for-profit Christian liberal arts university enrolling over 4,000 students this year. With a broad based, liberal arts and sciences curriculum, the University offers undergraduate degrees in 41 major areas of study ranging from business, education and computer science to biology and nursing, and 17 other graduate degrees including counselling psychology, theology and administrative leadership. For more information, visit TWU's Official Athletics site at gospartans.ca.

About Canadian Interuniversity Sport:

Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada. Fifty-two universities, 10,000 student-athletes and 550 coaches vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. The CIS also provides high performance international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiades, and 32 World University Championships. For further information, visit www.universitysport.ca.

About CWUAA:

"Canada West is consistently the most decorated of the four conferences in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), winning at least 10 CIS national titles every year since 1997-98. Comprised of 13 schools, from Manitoba to B.C., the CWUAA produces numerous major award winners and Academic All-Canadian student-athletes each year, with many going on to athletic success around the globe in events such as the Olympics or Universiade Games."

-TW-

Last Updated: 2010-06-10
Author: Mark Janzen