Abby Duinker commits to Acadia

BY JOHN DECOSTE

jdecoste@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

Bev Greenlaw has another top recruit and two sets of sisters will play women’s basketball for Acadia next fall.

Last week, Acadia made it official that Abbey Duinker of Cambridge, N.S., one of the top women’s high school basketball players in the province, if not the country, has chosen Acadia for her post-secondary academics and athletics.

Abbey, a 6’2” forward currently in Grade 12 at Horton High after spending the 2007-2008 school year at the National Elite Development Academy (NEDA) in Hamilton, Ont., was also a member of the national junior women’s basketball program.

A member of the Horton D-1 girls’ basketball team from 2005-2007, she played on the 2005-2006 provincial champions and was a starter as a Grade 10 student in 2006-2007.

After being selected by Canada Basketball in 2007 as one of Canada’s top 10 prospects, she was invited to attend NEDA and also made the national junior team, for which she competed (and won a silver medal) at the Tournament of the Americas in Argentina.

She earned a bronze medal representing Nova Scotia at the 2006 Basketball Canada U-15 tournament and another bronze with the Nova Scotia team at the U-17 nationals in 2007.

Abbey will join her older sister Emma, the 2007-2008 AUS Rookie of the Year for women’s basketball, on the Axewomen roster next fall. The two will combine with Alise and Keisha Brown for a double ‘sister act’.

‘Obviously delighted’: Greenlaw

“I’m very excited to be coming to Acadia next fall for several reasons,” Duinker said in a Nov. 4 release. “Coach Greenlaw coached me for several years at Horton and his knowledge and understanding of the game has been a great benefit in my development.

“Being able to stay near home and play (on the same team) with my sister is an important part of my decision. Acadia is a great place for me to pursue my academic interests as well as my vision of becoming a CIS champion.”

“We’re obviously delighted to have Abbey join us here at Acadia,” Greenlaw said in the release. “She has not only been identified by Canada Basketball as one of the nation’s top prospects at her position, she is also a great teammate who other talented kids are going to want to play alongside.

“She has chosen Acadia over numerous NCAA Division 1 schools who recruited her, along with many top CIS schools. Her athleticism, skills, work ethic and dedication will mesh very nicely with the culture of excellence we intend to nurture here at Acadia.”

Acadia athletic director Brian Heaney also expressed pleasure with Duinker’s decision. “Abbey’s commitment to attend Acadia as a student-athlete will have a significant impact on our progression to a nationally prominent women’s basketball program,” he said.

“She is one of Nova Scotia’s finest female basketball players and a respected member of the national program. Her presence will inspire her teammates and will lead the way to Acadia for other players of national and regional prominence.

“Abbey will play a huge role in the accomplishment of our competitive goals,” he said. “I couldn’t be happier for our players, our coaching staff and the whole Acadia family.”