THUNDER BAY – Jon Kreiner's gone back to his roots for his first recruit of the 2020-21 campaign.
The Lakehead Thunderwolves women's basketball coach on Friday announced the team has signed 5-foot-6 point guard Ally Burke from his hometown, Timmins, Ont.
Burke who won a pair of OFSAA gold medals with the O'Gorman Knights, winning bronze this past season at provncials.
“I chose Lakehead because the campus was stunning and everyone I met on my visit was incredibly welcoming and friendly. The faculty, team and coaching staff instantly made Thunder Bay feel like home. I know that Lakehead is an environment that will provide me with all of the support I need to be successful both academically and athletically,” Burke said in a release issued by LU.
A member of the Timmins Selects program, she had dedicated the past six years to prepare her game for the university level.
“She is a perfect role model for all student athletes in the North that with hard work, sacrifice and dedication, you can achieve success, even from a small town like Timmins. She has been an absolute pleasure to coach and wish her all the best in her next chapter at Lakehead University,” said her club coach, Jamie Lamothe.
Kreiner said he knows he's got a winner in Burke.
“Ally has competed and excelled at all levels and does this with a team-first attitude. The coaching staff and I couldn’t be more happy to announce Ally as our first commit to the Thunderwolves women’s basketball program. Her work-ethic, toughness and skill at the point guard position is at an elite level,” Kreiner said.
“Ally has also demonstrated the willingness and desire to be a very coachable student-athlete. I cannot overemphasise just how excited we are to work with Ally and to help her achieve her goals both in the classroom and on the court.”
Burke's high school coach said she was born to be a basketball player.
“She is driven, passionate and a true team player. She is an architect on the court and has been an absolute pleasure to coach over the past four years. I look forward to watching her chase her athletic and academic dreams. I am proud of her and wish her all the best next year in Thunder Bay,” said Knights coach Marcy McCarthy.
