Three NBL1 athletes receive Basketball Australia COE scholarships

Basketball Australia's High Performance team have offered scholarships to four NBL1 athletes to join the women's Centre of Excellence (CoE) program at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).

Representing Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia, Queensland and Tasmania, the mid-year scholarship recipients will begin their six-month training program this July.

The NBL1 athletes are Jayda Clark (WA, Warwick), Dallas Loughridge (VIC, Dandenong) and Jessica Petrie (QLD, Gold Coast). 

AIS programs have produced a wave of talent represented at both national and international leagues including the likes of Australian Opals Jenna O'Hea, Liz Cambage and Bec Allen to name a few, and young Queenslander Jessica Petrie is up for the challenge.

"I was shocked when I first heard the news, but once I processed it all I became really excited," she said.

"I feel extremely grateful to be given the opportunity to go to a place that has produced so many great players that I look up to.

"I know it is going to be a challenging environment competing against the best girls every day but it is something I’m really looking forward to."

Petrie has suited up for the Rollers three times this season in NBL1 North and is the is the daughter of former WNBL player Sarah Petrie and NBL veteran Anthony Petrie.

Loughridge is having an impressive season with 16.57 points per game while Clark is averaging 11.80 points for Warwick in NBL1 West.