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Chisholm proudly polishes rep
as Trojans' hardcourt Charlie Hustle
CALGARY -- She made the SAIT Trojans as a walk-on. And that's likely the only time that Jerri-lyn Chisholm has walked during her entire collegiate basketball career.
Chisholm, a third-year forward, is the Women of Troy's undisputed Charlie Hustle. The five-foot-eight Calgarian isn't blessed with natural ability, but has succeeded on the court with fire, ferocity and desire - and has transformed herself into the beating heart of the Trojans' lineup.
"She's the kind of person you root for. A coach's dream. She gives you all she's got - every practice, every game, non-stop," says third-year Trojans head coach Donovan Martin, who recalls Chisholm's first days with the SAIT squad. "I got the job here late (just prior to the 2007-08 season), so I didn't have a chance to recruit. She just walked on, in September, and said, 'Can I try out?' I said, 'Well, we don't have anybody else, so if you can do anything here, we've got a spot for you.' She never would have made the team under normal circumstances, an ID camp or whatever.
"She didn't play much to start with, and was the 12th man on the roster. She doesn't have God-given talent, but she's worked and worked and worked and worked," adds Martin. "She brings hustle. She's tougher than hell. She plays the four-spot, and she rebounds consistently against people who are much bigger than her. She's turned herself into a very respectable mid-range shooter. She's a good free-throw shooter. She can run all day; she's in top physical condition.
"She's a perfect example of somebody who wanted something bad enough that they went out and made themselves into what they wanted to be."
Chisholm and the Trojans (13-1) occupy top spot in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference's South Division, alongside the Lethbridge Kodiaks.
The Trojans' next court confrontation is arguably their biggest weekend of the season to date - a two-game series against those Kodiaks on Feb. 5 and 6, starting Feb. 5 in Lethbridge, and continuing Feb. 6 at SAIT's Campus Centre gym with a 6 p.m. tip-off.
Chisholm, a nutrition student at SAIT, arrived at SAIT from a basketball program at Calgary's Notre Dame High School that was just in its infancy.
That didn't stop her from doggedly pursuing her dream.
"It's been a lot of hard work. All I've done every summer is shoot, shoot, shoot, play basketball as much as I can to get better," says Chisholm, who's averaging a little more than 4.5 points a game this season.
"I'm not (ACAC points-per-game leader and resident SAIT three-point goddess) Kim Lee," she adds with a laugh. "I probably put in a good hour to two hours a day of extra work. I'll shoot by myself, or with someone else if they can come with me."
So what's the payoff? "I'm just continuously getting better. I'm counted on for my hard work and my hustle, and that's what I'm going to continue to do," replies Chisholm.
As for rewards, well, Chisholm still recalls with pride the day she was first named a SAIT starter, on Nov. 28, 2008 against the Mount Royal University Cougars at MRU's Kenyon Court. The Trojans ended up winning, 59-58.
"The best day of my life, because I didn't expect it," she says. "We were in the huddle, and Donovan starts listing off the starters and mentions my name. I was like: 'Wow. I did it.' It was a great confidence boost."
In all likelihood, this will be Chisholm's final season with the Trojans. She, like the rest of the team, believes this year's edition has the goods to deliver not only SAIT's first provincial title since 2001-02, but also its first Canadian Colleges Athletic Association national crown since 2000-01. "If we work together, and continuously get better, we have a great chance at winning nationals," she says.
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