Trinity Meteors have scooped the awards for December’s Basketball Ireland Player and Coach of the Month, with Edel Thornton and Vinnie O’Keefe winning awards after a successful December that saw their side pick up a hat-trick of wins.
Thornton was awarded with the Player of the Month award in Division 1 of the Women’s National League while coach O’Keefe picked up the Coach of the Month award in the same category for the second month running.
Thornton picked up the honour following her strong showing in league victories over Griffith College Templeogue, Phoenix Rockets and UL Huskies in December.
Thornton is in her first season at Meteors, having joined the club after a hugely successful stint with Quinnipiac University in the United States. During her spell in Connecticut, Thorton became the first Irish basketballer to play in the Sweet 16 round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1, the top tier of college basketball in the US.
Thornton is one of six students who were awarded a Trinity sports scholarship for basketball in October, alongside Meteors clubmates Sarah Kenny, Carolyn Binder, Lauren Grigsby and Niamh Kenny.
In an interview with The University Times in October 2019, Thornton spoke of her ambitions with Meteors on her return to Irish soil: “I come from a winning background, and I don’t plan on changing that while I’m here.”
Vinnie O’Keefe has been head coach at Trinity Meteors since the beginning of the 2018/2019 season, and has led the side to eight league victories this season – including an impressive 91-82 win over division leaders Ulster University.
Trinity currently sit second in the table, nine points off Ulster University at the league’s summit.
Trinity are back in action this weekend, when they will face Ulster University in the semi-final of the Women’s Division 1 National Cup. Meteors dispatched Griffith College Templeogue 79-56 last November to set up the last-four clash.
