Dixon, Sykes and Speed Headed to 2008 USA U18 Trials
May 16 | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Incoming Rutgers freshmen Jasmine Dixon (Long Beach, Calif), April Sykes (Crawford, Miss.) and Nikki Speed (Pasadena, Calif.) are among 35 individuals who have accepted invitations to attend the 2008 USA Basketball Women's U18 National Team Trials.
The trials will be held June 9-12 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The 35 athletes, born on or after Jan. 1, 1990, will compete for 12 roster spots on the 2008 USA Women's U18 National Team.
Following trials, the Women's Collegiate Committee is expected to announce the 12-member roster and alternates. The team members will return to Colorado Springs for training camp in mid-July before departing for the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, July 23-27 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Twenty-seven (27) of the 35 young women played in the 2007 USA Basketball Women's Youth Development Festival, including three who set all-time competition records. Among the three was one of RU's own, Speed, who established a new mark for assists (27).
Sykes and Dixon earned Gatorade Player of Year honors in their respective states. Sykes was tabbed a Parade Magazine first team All-American and was selected to the USA Today All-USA second squad. Dixon earned first team honors on both the Parade and USA Today teams. Speed was selected a USA Today All-USA second team honoree and was a third team Parade pick.
The trio - along with Chelsey Lee and Brooklyn Pope - is one of the most heralded recruiting classes in Rutgers women's basketball history. All five future Knights were members of the McDonald's all-America team, with Dixon and Speed earning co-MVP honors.
