St. Anne Grad Sophia Syal Shines in Rookie Season

Sophia Syal, an 18-year-old guard from Tecumseh, Ontario, is turning heads in her rookie season with the Georgian Grizzlies in the OCAA. The fitness and health promotion student-athlete has quickly established herself as the league's top-scoring first-year player, averaging 13.8 points per game.

A St. Anne’s graduate, Syal says her move to Barrie for school was about more than just basketball. “The area Georgian is in (Barrie) is so pretty, and the coaches and my teammates were so welcoming and made me feel a part of a family from the start of the recruitment process,” she told Powerplay Sports.

Syal shares the court with Sydney Shawyer, the OCAA’s third-leading scorer at 17.3 points per game. She says her approach to success has been simple: hard work and a willingness to learn. “Honestly, I just work hard, try to be coachable, and am able to play freely, which takes care of the rest,” she said.

Reflecting on her time at St. Anne’s, Syal credits her high school years for laying the foundation of her basketball journey. “The four years at St Anne’s honestly taught me who I was and why I love basketball so much. I found so much friendship and faced hardships that taught me to have tough skin, but also just do what I do best,” she said.

Now back home for the holiday break, Syal plans to balance family time with preparation for the second half of the season. “Over the break I want to work more on getting to the rim, and of course putting up loads of threes. I’m also looking forward to strength training and cardio work to stay in shape and keep up with my team and the great players in the league,” she said.

With her work ethic and love for the game, Syal looks poised to make an even bigger impact in the OCAA as her rookie season continues.

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