It was time to join the varsity. So what that she’s an eighth grader? Julia Loonin, 13, so dominated her Berkeley Carroll middle school team last year, she was invited by the athletic department to try out for the varsity squad this season. Not only did she make theteam, she’s become a starting guard on one of the best private school teams in the city.
“We were concerned,” Berkeley coach Michele Wetzler said yesterday. “Do you really want to put an eighth grader on the varsity? That’s a lot to handle. But the transition has been terrific.”
Besides having to prove herself in tryouts on the court, the thin, 5-foot-4 Loonin had to show she was physically able to withstand the rigors of varsity ball.
So before the season, an athletic trainer at Berkeley Carroll, which is located in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn, put her through a series of strength and endurance tests. She passed them with ease.
In fact, the only difficulty for Loonin in making the jump to varsity was not continuing to play with her friends on the middle school team.
“It was hard with my friends at first,” Loonin said. “I always wanted to play with friends.”
But Loonin, who lives in Tribeca, also wanted the challenge of the next level. And she said she’s “excited and flattered” to have been promoted to the varsity.
Wetzler, meanwhile, thought Loonin’s upgrade was necessary to further improve her game.
“To hone her skills,” Wetzler said, “the competition was needed.”
Loonin’s parents were all for it, too. Her father, Larry, coached her in sixth grade at Eastside Middle School and knew his daughter was an exceptional talent.
“I love it,” he said about Julia’s playing status. “I’m extremely proud of her.”
Larry was in the stands yesterday as Berkeley Carroll blew an 11-point fourth quarter lead before falling to Dwight, 59-57, at Asphalt Green on the upper East Side. Loonin was held scoreless, but she made a few nice passes and didn’t seem nervous in the least.
“It’s a great experience playing with older girls,” said Loonin, who carries an A minus grade-point average.
However, she admitted that she’s often worried about doing “something wrong” on the court.
No one else is worried, though. Loonin has proved she belongs. She is averaging seven points, two rebounds and one steal and has been a key reason why BC has an impressive 11-3 record.
“Julia is really a nice fit,” Wetzler said. “He skills are really very sound. She’s tough mentally and she makes very smart decisions.”
Wetzler said Loonin has been accepted by her teammates, who have assigned her the task of picking up the water bottles after games.
“I don’t mind it at all,” Loonin said.
With her budding talent, Loonin likely will be heavily recruited by colleges by her senior year.
“They should be knocking on her door,” Wetzler said.