Queens Basketball 2021/2022 Season Preview
2019/2020 Season Review (Absence of competition in 2020/2021 due to COVID-19)
The Red Deer Polytechnic Queens (10-11) placed fifth in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Women's Basketball South Division during the regular season and narrowly missed the post-season.
2020/2021 Red Deer Polytechnic Athletics Awards (Even though there was no formal competition last season, RDP Athletics celebrated academic achievements, leadership, and community involvement)
Szymanek (6)
Al Ferchuk Leadership Award – Amy Szymanek
Highest Red Deer Polytechnic Team GPA – Queens Basketball (3.47 average)
President's List – Student-athletes who achieved a 3.7 GPA or higher with a minimum of 15 credits in Fall 2020 Term - Sadie Jeffries
Dean's List – Student-athletes who achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher, with a minimum of 9 credits in Fall 2020 Term - Derian Geddes, Janai Hubert, Meja Lundberg, Sophie Melin, Amy Szymanek
2021/2022 Season Preview
Head Coach – Mandy Botham
Red Deer Polytechnic Queens Basketball Head Coach Mandy Botham is embracing the opportunity to compete in the ACAC 2021/2022 season after a year's absence.
"When COVID-19 cancelled last season, we talked about being grateful for what we had," she said. "We have been very excited to practice and to play some exhibition games."
Assistant Coaches – J'Anna Aitchison, Ciara Aitchison (team manager)
Returning players from 2019/2020
With five returning student-athletes from the 2019/2020 squad and an impressive group of seven new recruits, Botham is thrilled to lead the Queens this year.
"I am optimistic about what we are capable of achieving this season," said Botham. "We have a strong group of veteran student-athletes coming back, who are good players and good leaders, which makes a big difference."
Stauffer's Amy Szymanek, who earned the 2020/2021 Al Ferchuk Leadership Award at the Polytechnic, is one of those key returning Queens. The Bachelor of Education Middle School student averaged 10.2 points per game in 2019/2020 which ranked third on the team.
Other returnees from 2019/2020 include Stockholm's Sophie Melin (9.7 points per game), Calgary's Derian Geddes, Red Deer's Keanna Richards, and Surrey's Heena Sidhu (12.1 points per game), who was the team's scoring leader.
"Amy and Sophie are phenomenal leaders and our captains. Our returning student-athletes play important roles for us on and off the court," said Botham. "They are the leaders who set the tone as far as work ethic and culture. We are very fortunate to have such a strong group."
New players in 2021/2022
First-years Sadie Jeffries, five-foot-10 Emily Anderson, Jordan Harris, five-foot-11 Janai Hubert, Meja Lundberg, and five-foot-10 Lauren France will also compete for the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens this season. Saskatoon's Mira Witt, a Bachelor of Kinesiology student, is new to the Queens but is a second-year student-athlete, with previous experience playing for the UBC Okanagan Heat.
"I've brought in two new international student-athletes – Meja from Sweden and Lauren from England. Meja is very talented with a high basketball IQ. She sees the floor very well and can play any position from point guard to centre," said Botham. "Lauren has been someone who I have been in contact with for a while and things worked out in the last week in August for her to join us. She is a phenomenal shooter and person who everyone instantly connects with."
Two central Alberta student-athletes have also made a positive early impression on Botham.
"Janai Hubert and Sadie Jeffries have surpassed even where I thought they would be at this point. Janai is from Red Deer and played at Lindsay Thurber. I have seen her grow with confidence. She is a phenomenal rebounder, which contributes to the identity of our team," said Botham, who coached the Queens to second place in the league with 969 total rebounds over 21 games.
"Sadie is a point guard from Sylvan Lake. Her development has just taken off. She is a Nursing student, so I hope she will be able to play with us for five years."
Non-conference games in 2021
Over 10 exhibition games, the Queens gained experience competing together, along with some teachable moments.
"At times, we struggled with consistency. Our 54-28 win over The King's University Eagles is a perfect example. We really struggled in the first half and then we came out in the second half as a completely different team," said Botham. "Our defensive energy was great, and we held them to 10 points in the second half. We were also more patient on offence and scored more efficiently."
The non-conference games have also been an opportunity for the Queens to develop their play as a cohesive unit.
"On the positive side, our chemistry from player one through 12 has been really good this season," said Botham. "It's nice to see that translate from practice and off the court into games."
While Botham has confidence in her student-athletes, she has been pleasantly surprised with some performances throughout the exhibition games.
"For someone who is a first-year player, Janai has been really exciting to watch in our non-conference games," she said. "Lauren is someone whose skills and knowledge of the game have really impressed me. I knew she was talented when I watched film of her play during the recruiting process, but she has surpassed my expectations after seeing her skillset in person."
Jeffries, who starred with the H.J. Cody Lakers, is earning respect from her teammates and coach.
"Sadie started at point guard during exhibition, and she has been one of our top rebounders despite being the shortest player on the team. Our veteran players rallied around her," said Botham of the five-foot-six student-athlete. "In a game against Augustana, she had 10 rebounds. She's a great pass first point guard. Her on ball defence and communication was a spark for our team and her confidence has been growing."
In 2019/2020, the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens (10-11) were only two points behind the Medicine Hat College Rattlers (11-10) for the fourth and final playoff position in the south. This season, the Queens won't be satisfied with just a spot in the conference playoffs.
ACAC 2021/2022 Women's Basketball season
"Our goal is to be in the ACAC Championship game, ideally winning it. Our conference gets two berths to nationals with a wild card spot," said Botham. "We want to gain that valuable experience and use it as a stepping-stone to help build on our program's success moving forward."
This journey for the Queens will begin in the first game of 16 regular season contests. The Red Deer Polytechnic Queens will host the Lethbridge College Kodiaks on Friday, November 12 at 8 pm at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre.
For more details about Red Deer Polytechnic Queens Basketball tickets, please visit the online ticketing page.
Not returning from 2019/2020
Lauren Cardinal, Sandra Garcia-Bernal, Mikayla Kuilboer, Britney Peters, Celine Quigley, Val Rincon, Mallory Uskiw