Wayland Athlete Helps Wildcats Win the AAU Eighth-Grade National Championship

Wayland's Daly Place helped the Mass Wildcats eighth-grade team win the AAU Girls Basketball Div. III National Tournament this week in Orlando, Fla., according to Watertown parent Walter Morris.

The Wildcats swept the competition in pool play – including teams from Deleware, Florida and Germany – to earn first place and a bye in the first round of the playoffs, according to AAUgirlsbasketball.org.

The team defeated Hooperstown Huskies out of New York, 57-16, in the quarterfinals, before coming out on top of Georgia's Cagers Silver by just one point, 37-36, in the semifinal. 

The Wildcats faced MBNation from Maine in the championship game and came out on top, 46-31 in the final, according to AAUgirlsbasketball.org.

Joining Wayland's Place on the Wildcats were Sudbury's Emily Davis, Hannah Dee and Ellen Long; Watertown's Rachel Campbell, Gianna Coppola, Allie Doggett and Rachel Morris; Bedford's Olivia Citrano; and Arlington's Julia Griffin.

The Wildcats were coached by Matt Ryan and Kathy Martinez, members of the Watertown High School 2011 girls' basketball team's coaching staff.