Chelsea Hill may only be a sophomore, but she is already the
most polished all-around athlete Gilroy High has in its
arsenal.
A three-sport athlete in water polo, basketball, and track and
field – the first two of which she has competed at the varsity
level during both of her years at GHS – Hill is a rare combination
of size, strength and agility. At 6-foot-1, she towers over most
defenders in the paint when it comes to hoops. She also has arms
long enough to loop balls over others in the pool for goals.
Picking up track last year as a way to build speed, her long legs,
strengthened by time spent topping hurdles in the spring, now allow
her to dash and dart in between and by defenders on the basketball
court.
She is an inside-outside threat on the hardwood, and she’s only
going to get better.
GILROY – Chelsea Hill may only be a sophomore, but she is already the most polished all-around athlete Gilroy High has in its arsenal.
A three-sport athlete in water polo, basketball, and track and field – the first two of which she has competed at the varsity level during both of her years at GHS – Hill is a rare combination of size, strength and agility. At 6-foot-1, she towers over most defenders in the paint when it comes to hoops. She also has arms long enough to loop balls over others in the pool for goals. Picking up track last year as a way to build speed, her long legs, strengthened by time spent topping hurdles in the spring, now allow her to dash and dart in between and by defenders on the basketball court.
She is an inside-outside threat on the hardwood, and she’s only going to get better.
“She is a pretty special athlete and she’s got the grades to go along with it,” Gilroy basketball coach Susan Shapiro said, noting that Hill boasts over a 4.0 grade-point average and takes mainly honors courses. “Whatever she wants to do, she can do.”
That could even mean leading GHS to an eventual Central Coast Section basketball championship. While this year’s squad, currently holding a 4-3 record, is exceptionally young, the Mustangs have enough talent to gain playoff experience in the short term while building credentials for a possible championship a year or two from now.
“It’s really hard to predict that far, but we definitely have a chance at a CCS title,” Hill said. “If everyone works hard, it should be within our grasp.”
So far this season, there hasn’t been much escaping Hill’s grasp. She is currently averaging 15.7 points, 13 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 2.9 assists every time she suits up. Her best game to date came in a double-overtime one-point loss to Aptos in the second round of the Mustang Classic. Hill finished the game with 27 points and 19 rebounds.
“That was the best game of my life,” she said. “It was so hard because (after the game) I just wanted to crawl into a hole.”
A relentless schedule in which Hill was involved in sports year-round has put in her in top-notch shape for the season.
Playing club basketball with the South Bay Bandits AAU club team along with Lindsey Foster, another exceptional three-sport athlete at GHS, has honed her skills.
“I just love being active,” Hill said. “If I don’t have a sport to play, I feel lazy.”
Her leadership skills, along with her knowledge of the fundamentals, have grown as a result.
“She raises everyone’s game around her because she’s not selfish with the ball,” Shapiro said. “She is an absolutely motivated individual and encourages everyone to be the best they can be.”
Says Hill, “I really try not to be negative. That’s a really big problem with leaders these days. I’m trying to get all the players pumped up to do better themselves.”
Point guard Ashley Lambert recognized the work Hill put in during the offseason as soon as preseason practices started.
“She brings everything,” Lambert said. “She can shoot and dribble.”
Shapiro has seen the improvement, too, but thinks Hill will need to continue working on her ballhandling to land a Division I or II offer. In the end, though, Hill’s grades should make her an attractive recruit for just about any college program.
“Her grades are going to allow her to go anywhere she wants, so it’s going to be about the school,” Shapiro said. “It’s up to Chelsea because she’s an amazing athlete and an amazing student.”
On top of her work in the classroom and on the court, Hill also volunteers her time to help the less fortunate by going on missions with her church and organizing educational fundraisers.
About the only people Hill has a negative impression on is her opponents, something Shapiro is looking forward to with each coming game.
“By the time CCS comes around, I hope she’s every other coach’s nightmare,” Shapiro said.
Note: Gilroy High’s girls basketball team defeated the alumni 66-44 Saturday afternoon in Gilroy.
“It went awesome for us, it didn’t go awesome for the old people,” Gilroy coach Susan Shapiro said.
Sovi Nou led all scorers with 15 points, while freshman Michelle Sosa pitched in 13.
“That was her first game with us,” Shapiro said of Sosa being pulled up to the varsity. “She’s been practicing all week and we’re going to see how she does.”
Chelsea Hill added 10 points and 14 rebounds.
