Fifth-year senior Ana Capotosto is set to experience the trip of a lifetime — for the second time. Capotosto and the Toledo women’s basketball program will travel to London and Spain Aug. 8-18.
In summer 2011, Capotosto, at that time an incoming freshman, and the Rockets ventured to Israel for a 12-day excursion. The NCAA allows one foreign tour every four years for a program and only one trip for a player. To make Capotosto’s second foreign adventure possible, she was granted a special waiver from the NCAA.
Capotos
Capotosto recently took a couple minutes to talk about what a tremendous opportunity this trip will be for herself and her teammates:
I think I speak for everyone in our basketball program when I say we’re really looking forward to this opportunity. It will be a great way to learn where Inma, Janice and Jay-Ann come from. It will also be a tremendous chance for our team to bond and a valuable experience for us to learn about the different cultures.
I was fortunate enough to be a part of the Israel trip a couple years ago as well. It was an adventure I will certainly never forget. As a group, we were able to see, learn and experience a multitude of places. This time around in London, Barcelona and Mallorca, I’m sure there will also be a widespread realm of culture to be experienced and appreciated.
Aside from that, we will also learn the basketball culture Spain and England have to offer. We’ll have the pleasure of playing by the European rules for a couple of games, something I’m sure our European teammates have been wishing for quite some time.
This opportunity will also give us a head start on our season, allowing our newcomers and returnees a chance to mesh on the court. Not to mention, it will be fun to allow Inma, Janice and Jay-Ann to play in front of their family and friends.
What I find most exciting about the upcoming trip, though, is the chance to know Inma, Janice and Jay-Ann on a new level. They will be able to share where they come from and provide some local insight on the best places to see, visit and eat in their hometowns.
Of course, I can’t speak of this trip without mentioning the people who have made it all possible: our coaches, donors, administration and community. They deserve all the thanks and appreciation in the world. I’m confident this trip will be the trip of a lifetime and nothing short of unforgettable.
This past season for the Rockets, Capotosto started 30 contests and averaged 7.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.3 steals in 26.7 minutes. A three-point specialist, she buried 38 triples on the year, the second-highest total on the squad. The 2014-15 team captain also scored in double figures on 13 occasions, the fourth-highest number on the team, including a season-high 20 points vs. Southern Illinois in the second round of the New Orleans Shootout.
