East called for national event
Manjimup basketballer Dana East has been selected to participate in the 2020 under-20 Australian Championships in the ACT.
Seventeen-year-old East, pictured, was one of 10 players selected for the 2020 WA under-20 women’s team.
The championships will be held from February 5 to 9 and East is the only country representative and the youngest player to be chosen for the State team.
East thanked her parents Janine and Heath East for all their support over the years.
“Over the many years of driving me back and forth to training and games, I appreciate it and will be forever grateful for their ongoing support,” she said.
“A big thank you to Evelyn Hall, who has taken me for my weekly State training sessions for the past few months in preparation for these trials.”
East also thanked Paula Della Franca for the constant support throughout the years in preparing her to reach the best of her abilities.
“I am excited to be representing WA again on a national level and am looking forward to heading off in February next year,” she said.
East’s achievements include participation in the under-18 Country State Women’s team, the 2019 Australian Junior Championships and WA Country Australian Junior Championships.
She has been selected to represent WA Country six times and missed out in 2016 due to a broken wrist.
East has been training fortnightly for the 2020 championships, while still attending her weekly training in Manjimup for her State commitments.
She also plays in the Bunbury Senior Women’s Competition as part of the Dunborough Oilers team and still coaches as Manjimup under-16s team and is also the under-16s Manjimup Amateur Basketball Association’s coach during this year’s Country Championships.
Della Franca congratulated East on her achievement and well-deserved selection for the 2020 under-20 Western Australian Women’s Basketball team.
“She is an asset to our Manjimup junior and senior competition and our association is very lucky to have her as a player/umpire and also as a coach coming through passing on her knowledge to our younger girls coming through the ranks,” she said.
“We appreciate all that she gives back to our association and we will continue to support her in whatever pathway her basketball will take her.
“We wish her all the best in February 2020 and know that she will give it her all when she is on the court representing her State.”
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