Hilda Garcia, a junior guard for Durango High School girls basketball team, was one of 25 Native American girls selected to play in the Native Top 50 High School Camp and Combine.
The four-day event will be held June 29 at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, and will be attended by the top 50 Native American boys and girls high school basketball players.
“It’s an honor that she’s worked for,” Durango High School women’s basketball coach Tim Fitzpatrick said. “She’s put the time in. It’s nice to see her get honored and recognized for her play on the basketball court and also as a student and as a good teammate.”
Garcia, who is half Navajo, was first-team all conference, averaging 9.7 points per game for the Demons last season. She transferred from Ignacio High School and had to sit out for half of last season because of transferring rules.
“This is a great opportunity because the camp has girls from all over the country,” Garcia said. “I was pretty stoked.”
The first two days of the event serve as a camp, where players participate in individual drills, weight lifting and early morning runs. The last day features an all-star game that will pit the participants against each other, with college coaches in attendance. After, the players will be individually ranked based on their performance.
“It’s not like a normal camp where they just do dribbling drills,” Garcia said. “They work on everything, even your strength. It’s pretty serious.”
This is the first year for the camp, put on by Global Elite Sports Association based out of New Mexico.
Garcia hopes to impress the college coaches who will be scouting during the all-star game.
“I really hope my basketball career continues after high school,” Garcia said. “That is one of my biggest personal goals.
asemadeni@durangoherald.com
