After having as few as eight players on their bench last year, The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack Womens Basketball team will have more than enough players to fill their roster in 2008-09.   Scott Reeves has landed another talented player in guard Bethany McNeill of Carson Graham Secondary (North Vancouver BC).

“The addition of Bethany will give us some much needed grit and depth,” says Reeves.  This signing came on the heels of a Player I.D. Camp held by the WolfPack earlier this month. She is the third player to be signed following that camp.

McNeill is only 5-7, but what she lacks in size she makes up for in heart and desire. “Beth comes to TRU as a skilled player ready to make the jump into the CIS’, states Reeves. “She can find the open player and knock down shots which we are desperately needing if we are going to be a force in University Womens Basketball.”

Like many other WolfPack Athletes,  Bethany McNeill is a multi sport athlete. She is currently a member of the National U-19 Rugby team. Starting on Carson Graham’s Senior Girls team since grade 10, she has helped lead them to back to back Provincial “AAA” titles.

McNeill’s high school coach is former  SFU Clan Vern Porter.  “Bethany is a leader for sure.  Shes one of the toughest kids I’ve ever coached.”  states Porter.   She was the leader of a grade 10 team which went 40 and 0 in 2005-06.  McNeill was a Lower Mainland and BC Allstar in both grades 10 and 11.  This past season, she suffered through two injuries including a bulging disc but still led her   Eagles team to the Provincials.   

“She is not afraid to take charge out there.” Says Porter who utilized McNeill as a shooting guard this year after playing her at point guard in grade 10 and 11.

 “There are a lot of upsides to coming here,” McNeill says when thinking about her decision to become a member of the WolfPack. “ I know some of the players on the team already. The calibre of players Coach Reeves is bringing in there is something which makes me think this is only the beginning  of good things.”

 Several American Universities including Brandeis University in Boston had approached her, but she settled on TRU where she’ll be reunited with Team BC teammates Jess Franz (Elgin Park, Surrey BC) and Diane Shuetze (Vernon).

McNeill joins Brianna Pound (Valleyview, Kamloops BC ) and Lindsay Rabbitt (Mount Royal College, Salmon Arm BC) as challengers to returning starters Kaitlyn Widsten (Tswwassen BC) and Sarah Cameron (Langley BC)