40 - Sunday, January 18, 1998 — North Shore News

=

north shore news

@ SPORTS

The height of CXce

West Van teen’s California dream

Andrew McCredie

Sports Editor
andrew@nsnews.com

CAROLINE Rowles
got her wish — she’s
going to California.

The = 17-vear-old West
Vancouver Grade 12 basket-
ball phenom recently received
a five-year, full-ride athletic
scholarship to Cal Poly in San
Luis Obispo, California.

“It's been a dream of mine
for a long time to play in
California, when we were lit-
de my parents used to take us
down there and I just fell i
love with it,” Rowles said after
school last Thursday.

While playing for the B.C.
U-17 team at a tournament in
San Francisco, Rowles caught
the eye of Cal Poly Mustangs
coach Faith Mimnaugh.

Other NCAA Division 1
schools showed interest in the
lanky, coordinated forward,
but one visit to Cal Poly, and
a practice with the Mustangs,
~-sgavinced Rowles thar San
Luis Obispo was the place.

“[ loved it. I met the team
and they’re just a great bunch
of women,” Rowles_ said.
“And [ really like the coach.”

Like most young girls
growing up in West Van,
Rowles plaved a number of
sports. Buc basketball has
been the athletic teenager’s
favorite sport since she can
remember.

“My dad (who is 6°5”) was
a basketball player, so there’s
lots of basketball influence in
my life,” Rowles said of her
passion for the game. “From
the beginning there was
something that [ loved abour
the game more than other
sports.”

The first chance she had to
play organized ball came at
Glen Eagles elementary, tol-
lowed by a stint at Hillside,
then at West Vancouver.

“I's areal joy to coach her
beeause you know that at
every practice and in every

game you're going to get a
tremendous ctlort” said West
Vancouver cuach — Shawn
MeGuinness, who first. saw
Rowles play when he was
Hillsicde’s athletic director and
she was in Grade 7.

“And she stood out then.
Literally,” MeGuinness
added.

While her height has no
doubt helped Rowles rise to
the top of her game, her
uncompromising work ethic
has established her as one of
the best players in the
province — if not the country.

“ve coached the
Basketball B.C. U-19 team, so
I can see where she stands,”
says McGuinness, adding that
the Cal Poly ceach recently
called him and said she wished
Rowles was playing for the
Mustangs right now.

And then there’s Mum.

“As a single parent she
stood, and still stands, by me
no matter what,” Rowles said
of ber mother Alison.

“She never misses a game
and always positively encour-
ages me to go farther and
strive for my goals.” said
Rowles.

“LT owe her more than |
can ever put words to.”

Rowles was a first-team all-
star at the B.C. Summer
Games and has picked up two
tournament MVP honors this
season (see Athlete of the Week
for more inf).

Of course, being just 17,
Rowles isn’t too concerned
about definite plans for the
future, but she knows she
wants to be a phys-ed teacher.
And then there is the newly-
established Women’s National
Basketball Association.

“Pm not going to deny
that ] haven't thought about
it.” she said with a laugh
when asked = about the
women's pro league. “Maybe
Eo could be the next Steve
Nash. Thar'd be pretty cool.”

Sounds — like Caroline
Rowles is ready tor California.

14th and Lonsdale
effective January 19;1998

We invite you to
Come bank with us

Scotia Bank

1357 Lonsdale Ave., North Van
981-7500

NEWS photo Terry Peters
CAROLINE Rowles has risen above the pack this
season with the West Vancouver Highlanders senior
girls basketbail team. The 17-year-old will play next
season for the NCAA Division 1 Cal Poly Mustangs.

TOUCH FOOTBALL BC
REGISTRATION

New Teams Welcome
Men, Women, junior
Rec, Intermediate, Flite

Phone 444-8223
FOR MORE INFORMATION

Everyone needs a mid-winter break!
What beiter time than Valentines!
The North Shore News is presenting
this special travel feature
just in time for Valentines Day.

NAME: Paris Jackson
SCHOOL: Carson
Graham
GRADE: !2
SPORT: Sr. basketball
POSITION: Forward
COACHES: Vern
Porter and Larry
Donohoe

Paris’ performance in
Saskatocn’s Beauford Road
{Invitational tournament
— especially his 27 points
in the final game on nine
of T8 trom the field and
six of eight from the foul
lise, combined with sub-
urb defence on the oppo-
sition’s top scoring threat
-— earned him first all-star
recognition along with
teammate Ryan Jobs.

NAME: Caroline
Rowles
SCHOOL: West
Vancouver
GRADE: 12
SPORT: Sr. basketball
POSITION: Post
COACHES: Shaun
McGuinness and Kathy
Pinch

Caroline captured
MNP honors at the 10th
aanual North — Shore
Firefighters Tournament
by averaging 31.3 points
and 14.7 rebounds per
game as the Highlanders
took the tithe with three
wins, She was also selected
MVP at Notre Dame's
Christmas Classic, as she
scored 36 points in’ the
tourney final to lead West
Van past the host team.

Selections are made by the North
Shore Secondary Schools’ Athletic
Association based on outstanding
performances in school conipetition.

(Top floor)

KB-ONE

lou
\r fe

kick boxing

MARTIAL ARTS
ACADEMY

Head Instructor:
Mehdi Pouroskoui

GET-FIT
HAVE FUN!

(regular program)

CALL FOR YOUR

FREE

Trial Lesson

984-0947

1525 Welch St., North Vancouver

Ss ede AEST UTR SE Eos tA PAK FOIE ESSN ORS Bia 7h

ee a ee eee