Oak Park Athletes Capture Four of the Top 10 Spots

Each year the Winnipeg Sun releases its Top 10 players list in each sport, and this year's Top Ten Players in Girls Basketball includes four Oak Park Raider Varsity players:

#2: Lauren Bartlett

#3: Claire Signatovich

#4: Emily Johnson

#8: Holly Klassen

Having four players on the Top 10 list is extremely rare; in fact, this may be a first! The Oak Park community has watched these student athletes dominate on the court, excel in their academics, and represent our school with incredible poise and leadership.

Oak Park teacher and coach, Murray Brown, along with co-coach Holly Kitchen, has had the pleasure of working with these athletes for the past three years. He is looking forward to the remainder of their season and their run for their third consecutive provincial title.

Guard, Lauren Bartlett, returned to the court this year better than ever. She is an outstanding ball handler who controls the tempo of the game, Lauren has added tremendous 3 point shooting (41% for the year) to her game making her even more dangerous. In addition to a great offensive game, Lauren is also a tremendous defender, disrupting her opponents by hounding their point guards. Lauren is a fourth year starter and in the past two years was named MVP or All-Star in 13 of the 14 tournaments the team competed in. Lauren will be attending University of Manitoba in the fall joining her sister, Deidre, a 2017 Oak Park grad, on the court where they are sure to be an unstoppable force.

Raider forward, Claire Signatovich has continued to add to her offensive arsenal this season, including the ability to hit the 3-point shot as well as improving her passing game. A dominate rebounder, Claire has the ability to grab the defensive rebound and get the team into transition by pushing the ball with the dribble. A terrific athlete, Claire uses her height to alter and block numerous shots every game. Claire is thrilled to be joining the University of Alberta Pandas next season.

Line mate and forward, Emily Johnson is a true gamer. Emily does all the little things needed to be an outstanding player. A great rebounder on both ends of the court, Emily has great scoring touch in both half court and transition situations. A plus defender, Emily can defend guards and forward/posts equally well. Next season Emily will join current teammate Lauren Bartlett and the University of Manitoba Bisons.

Starting guard, Holly Klassen is an excellent combo player. Her ability to attack and finish at the rim makes her a tough opponent and dependable teammate. Holly is a strong defensive player who can stretch the defense with effective 3-point shooting. The speed and skill Holly brings to the court keeps her opponents guessing while she helps her team in the offensive zone. The University of St. Boniface is lucky to have such a talented player joining their squad next year.

Oak Park congratulates these student athletes on this amazing achievement and is looking forward to cheering them and the entire team on in the MHSAA AAAA Provincial Basketball Championship.