Promising local junior basketball star Tara Bryant has been taking success in her stride and has recently taken her talents overseas to New Zealand and winning Gold!

Tara was selected into the Australian Country Cup side to play in the Mel Young Basketball Classic in New Zealand from her performance in the Albury earlier in the year.

The New Zealand based tournament was named ‘the Mel Young Easter Classic’ to honour the dedication and work of Mel Young in providing opportunities for everyone involved in the basketball game, the tournament provides the opportunity for elite juniors, referees and coaches to further develop their skills and knowledge of basketball.

Tara’s U16 side played in the U17 age group and managed to go undefeated throughout the tournament finishing with a 77 – 58 win over Tauranga in the Gold Medal match.

Tara thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to represent Australia ‘The experience was awesome, to be able to play basketball with a group of talented girls and play in another country representing Australia Country junior basketball was really special!’

‘It was exciting to win the gold and to play in a grand final. It was great to win it like we did!’

The opportunity has been one of many for the hard-working Lakers Junior who was recently selected into the SA Country U16 Nationals side to compete in Darwin this July. Tara was fortunate to share the experience with Georgia Winter from Millicent another promising young junior from the region that has also been selected in SA Country’s U16 Nationals side.

The ever-thoughtful Tara is very appreciative for those that have helped her along the way, ‘I really want to thank my family for allowing me to experience this, my coach, manager and the Australian Country Cup for the opportunity, also to Basketball Mount Gambier and all of my coaches for the support.’

There will be no rest for Tara going forward with preparations for U16 Nationals underway as well SE Netball Academy commitments.