Two Stelly's Secondary students, Owen Hunter-Siebert and Ben Savea, are set to represent British Columbia on the national stage as they compete in the Canada Basketball 15U National Championships in Oshawa, Ont. next month.
The talented duo, both 15 and incoming sophomores, earned their coveted spots on Team B.C. after a gruelling selection process that showcased their skills and determination against a pool of top players from across the province.
The road to nationals wasn't easy.
Coach Graham Bonar described the tryouts as an "intense" three-day affair held in early April, drawing upwards of 200 aspiring athletes from all over the province in the age range.
"It was a very tough team to make," Bonar explained.
The coaching staff faced the difficult decision of whittling down the impressive pool of talent to just 12 players.
"We want to take all these kids, we want to help them develop, but we have to make decisions, and we try to put together the best team that we can," Bonar said, highlighting the challenging nature of the selection process.
Hunter-Siebert and Savea, both participants in the Boys Basketball BC Academy Program, were the only players from Vancouver Island who made it to the Top 12.
Coach Bonar lauded their contributions, praising Hunter-Siebert as a dedicated worker who is "willing to take on any role at any time."
He described Savea as bringing "an awesome level of skill" and possessing a "very coachable" attitude.
Standing at an impressive 6'3", both players are acutely aware of the contributions they can make to the team.
However, they are far from complacent.
“We have a lot of training sessions with the team," Savea said. "I've been going to the gym a lot and just keeping up with my fitness, so when I get there, I'm prepared."
Hunter-Siebert, who has been diligently practising with his club team near his home in, believes his hard work and dedication earned him his place on Team B.C.
He offered advice to aspiring players looking to try out in the future.
“When you're at a provincial team tryout or anywhere and you're just trying to make the team, you've got to compete hard and listen to the coaches and study the plays," he said. "That's how you're going to get on the team.”
The 2025 Canada Basketball 15U men's and women's national championships will take place from Aug. 4 to 9 at Ontario Tech University and Durham College in Oshawa.
The event will feature teams representing provinces and territories from across the country.
Team B.C. enters the tournament in a pool of four teams. Their opening game is against Ontario on Aug. 4. A victory would see them take on the winner of the Quebec-Alberta matchup to advance to the playoff round.
When asked about Team B.C.'s goals for the tournament, Savea highlighted competition.
"I just really wanna compete well with all the other provinces and show them that B.C. is one of the top teams in the tournament," he said modestly.
"And yeah, I just wanna bring a medal back home too."
