High-motor, gritty guard Makinen bringing top-level Ontario JUEL experience to Griffins
Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Chatham, Ont. is more than 3,000 km away from MacEwan, so Griffins women's basketball head coach Katherine Adams wasn't exactly expecting to net a new recruit from the bustling city of just over 100,000 near Windsor.
But when a Griffins assistant coach travelled to the area to visit family and did some scouting on the side, Adams quickly got a phone call with the message: "Katherine, this is a kid you need to check out."
Busy making waves for Windsor St. Clair in the JUEL (Junior Elite League), Sofia Makinen immediately impressed Adams, as well, and officially committed to join the Griffins in February.
"I headed out to Ontario last spring to watch the JUEL Championships," said Adams. "I had a chance to meet her and watch her play, and it kind of went from there.
"She's interested in MacEwan's Business program. She's a really great fit in what she brings to the table for our program and what we could offer her, as well."
I'm super excited to announce my commitment to play basketball at MacEwan University. Thank you to all my coaches, teammates, family and friends for making this journey possible. Go Griffins!! ❤️�� pic.twitter.com/c9xkJ86s5R
— Sofia Makinen (@sofiam1024) March 28, 2023
On the court, the 5-foot-9 guard, who also has small forward experience, is exactly the type of player that can help the Griffins reach the next level.
"She's feisty," said Adams. "She has a high motor and kind of does a little bit of everything. The first weekend I saw her play, she was that utility player that could guard the point guard, could guard forwards. She is long with a high motor and fearless – tough and gritty to go in and battle, and get the job done. She can create, and she can score.
"I think you're going to see her contribute in a lot of different ways on the court at both ends of the floor and we're really excited about it."
Makinen also played for Ursuline College Chatham in high school and is exactly the type of student-athlete the Griffins covet with excellence on the court, in the classroom and in the community. A twitter post from a year ago shows her posing with community service and academic awards from JUEL, demonstrating her commitment to all aspects of being a student-athlete.
"Sofia is another one of those outliers that is destined to succeed at anything she puts her mind to," said her strength and conditioning coach Frank Parker in a statement to the Chatham Daily News. "You won't find a more committed student athlete."
