From a team that went winless two seasons ago to a solid 6-0 start this year, the junior girls varsity basketball team of the Bow Valley High School has come a long way.

The Bow Valley Bobcats junior varsity basketball team's latest feat early in the season is a gold medal win at an Olds Spartans basketball tournament over the weekend.

In the six-team, two pool tournament, the Bobcats beat Carstairs' Hugh Sutherland High, 60-25, in their opening game before downing the George McDougall Mustangs, of Airdrie, 81-29, to earn a spot in the 'A' final. They had a strong finished with a 59-29 win in the championship game over the defending tournament champions, the Stettler Wildcats.

Coach Kris Nielson says he's impressed with how the team is developing.

"We have a great culture. The kids are really smart, they have a really high basketball IQ and that helps with our practices, so it's been really good so far."

Prior to the tournament they won an exhibition match against West Central High School, of Rocky Mountain House, and beat the Springbank Phoenix in their opening game of the Rocky View Sports season. Tonight they have an exhibition match against Beiseker.

While they've won their opening games by as little as 16 points and as much as 60, tougher games are on the horizon in this week's Cochrane Classic Basketball tournament. The JV girls entries they're facing are predominantly from much larger 4A schools and include some top-ranked teams. Still, the tougher matchups potentially will help the team down the road.

"We do want to play some games that are close, whether we win or lose, just to get in that situation where we have to compete right to the end," says Nielson, who coached the boys basketball team at Cochrane High for several years.

"We want to get to the point where we're top of the province in 3A, that's the objective for a couple years down the road, or next year even, when the kids all get up into the (senior) varsity program. So we want to see teams like that, we want to see the top of the province teams."

There are 12 players on the Bobcats roster and many got a taste of high school ball last season.

"Last year we had a good developmental year. They didn't win a game the year before that, so last year was big; we almost won 20 games. It was a big improvement and I think we're on course to keep improving as a program."

Nielson is in his second year with the team and plans to follow the team into the senior high ranks.