Axewomen add Horton star Rachel Veale

WOLFVILLE – Provincial champion Rachel Veale has committed to the Acadia women’s basketball program for the 2024-25 season, joining her hometown university.

She is a three-time School Sport Nova Scotia (SSNS) medalist, winning the 2024 provincial championship with the Griffins. They defeated Halifax West 65-46 in the final, with Veale having a team-high 11 rebounds and eight assists in the game. She added seven points.

“We're really excited that Rach chose to play and study here at Acadia,” said head coach Len Harvey. “I've watched her play over the last eight years and she's one of those players that just makes the team better whenever she's on the floor. She's a leader, a competitor, an even-keeled personality, and a relentlessly hard worker. Most importantly though, Rach is the exact type of person we want to have in our locker room and on our campus, I'm really looking forward to working with her during her time at Acadia.”

Current Axewomen assistant coach Haley McDonald was Veale’s coach during the 2021-22 season when the Griffins won an SSNS Division 1 silver medal. Under Meghan MacLeod they won bronze in 2023 before this season’s championship.

Individually, she led the team in steals and assists during her Grade 11 year, while also being named team MVP and Horton’s female athlete of the year. That was her third straight season being named athlete of the year. The 2024 awards have not been announced yet.

“Growing up many of my role models came from the Axewomen team,” said Veale. “They signed autographs for me, and eventually became my coaches. They made us believe we could someday be them. I am so grateful for the opportunity to put on an Axewomen jersey as a hometown girl and hopefully become a role model for someone else someday. Growing up in Wolfville I've had a front row seat to everything Acadia has to offer, from academics to athletics, and I'm so excited to be committing to Acadia.”

On top of her play with Horton, she was also a member of the Basketball Nova Scotia U14 and U17 teams, most recently attending the Canada Basketball national championship in Calgary in 2023.

Growing up, she was a member of the Valley Heat U12 and U14 teams that won Division 1 provincial championships and a U12 Atlantic championship. In 2019 she also competed in the Jr. NBA in Toronto.

Away from basketball, she is a multi-sport athlete. She has competed in cross country, track and field, volleyball, soccer, badminton, squash and rugby.

A recipient of Acadia’s President’s scholarship and Horton High School’s female senior scholar athlete award, Veale will be working towards a biology degree while attending Acadia.