TWO Northern basketballers hope an upcoming national championship on home soil will be their next step towards achieving their sporting dreams.
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Fifteen-year-olds Jayde Brazendale and Claudia Howard have been playing the game since they were eight and teamed up at Westside Trojans four years ago.
They are the only Northern members of the Tasmanian under-16 team which will contest the national championships in Ulverstone from July 4-11.
Both were excited by the prospect and hoped to go on to play SEABL and ultimately represent Australia in basketball.
‘‘I’m looking forward to meeting new people and the experience of playing with unfamiliar teammates,’’ said Brazendale, of Prospect High School.
St Pat’s student Howard is the fourth member of the Howard family to make a state team, after two sisters and a brother.
‘‘I’m looking forward to the experience of playing against good opposition from around the country,’’ she said.
‘‘I’m very excited but nervous at the same time.’’
The team will be coached by Nick Haywood with assistance from Damon Kingshott and managed by Emma Russell.
THE FULL TEAM IS: Jayde Brazendale (Westside Trojans), Phoebe Buchwald (Ulverstone), Claudia Howard (Westside Trojans), Britany Middap (Somerset), Marli Oliver (Devonport), Shelby Rayner (Ulverstone), Marnie Shephard (Penguin), Darian Sutton (Penguin), Molly Synnott (Ulverstone), Sharna Thompson (Phoenix).