At close to six feet tall at the age of 13, it did not take long for Ana Evans to get the attention of basketball coaches at her Hillcrest middle school.
Frank Konig began working with the young athlete, helping her build a solid foundation that would serve her well as she moved into high school and higher levels of competition.
“He helped develop me as a player,” she said. “He was the one who saw a lanky, uncoordinated girl and decided to take her on as a challenge and for that I am so thankful.”
Fast-forward to today and the 18-year-old Evans is gearing up for graduation and her toughest athletic challenge yet: playing with Auburn University of Montgomery in Alabama.
She recently signed with the NAIA division one school and said she chose the school because of its strong coaching staff. While Alabama is a long way from home, she said she is excited about the prospect of taking her game to the next level.
“Although it’s a lot different from Coquitlam, it seems like a great place to live,” she said. “I’m excited to be in a new area and bonus is that it’s warm all year round.”
Her trip to Alabama in September will not be the first time the Dr. Charles Best secondary grad has travelled south.
She participated in a series of tournaments with a team called B.C.’s Finest — coached by Konig — and visited towns like Atlanta and Nashville, as well as L.A. and Oregon.
But the highlight of her young career is taking her Dr. Charles Best Blue Devils to the provincials last month for the first time in the history of the school’s girls’ basketball program.
The team won some big games, with Evans averaging 14 points, and ended up placing eighth at the B.C. tournament.
She will leave for Auburn in the middle of August and said training will begin almost immediately.
@gmckennaTC
