High school in Aurora has a history of producing incredible athletes
A high school in the south Denver metro area is getting a reputation for producing some of the best women's basketball players in the nation.
Two future WNBA players have played at Grandview High School in Aurora over the past ten years, and the school has won 5 CHSAA State titles.
Girls' Basketball coach Josh Ulitzky doesn't really like showing off the trophies for the 5 state titles he and his girls have won over the years. What he does like talking about are his players.
He has a lot to talk about because many of his players have gone on to excel in the sport. The most recent, Lauren Betts and her sister Sienna, who helped UCLA win an NCAA National Championship with the help of another one of his former players, Michaela Onyenwere, who is a coach at UCLA. He was able to watch one of their games in person
"We got to visit and celebrate with them on the court. So it was really great to be able to see them achieve these great things," said Ulitzky.
But that wasn't the end of the story. Lauren Betts was drafted into the WNBA to play alongside her coach and Grandview alumna Michaela Onyenwere.
Coach Ulitzky doesn't take much credit for any of their on-court success. He says it's luck and geography that allowed him to coach three talented athletes in ten years.
"I'm hoping that I probably had a larger impact on just who they are and how they operate," said Ulitzky.
He hopes that seeing these women succeed will inspire his current students in all aspects of life.
"They've been where these girls are trying to go. And so, I think in that aspect, that resource is, really, I'm really fortunate to be able to connect them, and they get a chance to talk to them," said Ulitzky.
