Women show mastery on basketball court

THREE Dalby women have come away with gold medals after their efforts at the Pan Pacific Masters on the Gold Coast in November.

DREAM TEAM: L Massie, D Barnes, M van Vuuren, M Kessler, K Kennedy; L Brand, B Pearce, I Rasmussen and C Rasmussen. Picture: Contributed

THREE Dalby women have come away with gold medals after their efforts at the Pan Pacific Masters on the Gold Coast in November.

Colleen Rasmussen, Mary Ann Kessler and Bonny Pearce are three members of the OzStars basketball team, which consists of women from Australia and New Zealand.

"The team was hand picked for their skills on the court and their kind and loving personalities off the court,” Colleen said.

"They play in the real spirit of the games; they play hard and play fair.”

OzStars team member Mary Ann Kessler described the masters as a gateway

for older athletes who still want to compete at a higher level.

"These friendships that you form in these games are just unbelievable; the experience itself is just amazing,” Mary Ann said.

"If you're a person who does Masters regularly... you're constantly regenerating those friendships that you form.”

"Everyone got on so well and we gelled so well, each person contributing their particular skill in the sport and it's on and off the court, it's just like family.”

All members of the team have played competitively before joining the OzStars and the OzStars themselves have some impressive games under their belt.

The team's next games are scheduled for 2019 in Cairns and Adelaide before they head to Japan in 2021.

Originally published as Women show mastery on basketball court