Bonnies Baseline: Trinkaus Brings Winning Pedigree To Bonaventure

Ella Trinkaus comes from a basketball household.

One of New York’s top players coming out of high school this year, she built a winning resume along with her sisters Maggie, Molly and her twin, Erin. 

The Trinkaus sisters also got the rare opportunity to do something not many siblings have shared – win a state title.

“My sisters and I are super competitive with each other. We’ve experienced all of our wins and losses together. We started playing bitty ball in kindergarten and never stopped,” Ella said. “My favorite part of my basketball journey so far was winning the state championship with my sisters. It was really special to me and I’m glad I was able to have that opportunity with them. We’ve grown up playing together and pushing each other, just making sure we’re each getting better.”

In 2024, Ella and Erin along with older sister Maggie combined to be the three leading scorers on their team, leading Utica Notre Dame to the state championship. 

Ella and her sisters followed in the footsteps of their cousin, Emily Durr, who won a state championship at Utica Notre Dame in 2014 and went on to play at Iowa State. Durr currently is an assistant coach on staff at Illinois and is a member of the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame.

Ella earned the title of New York State Sportswriters Association Class A Player of the Year as a senior having already committed to St. Bonaventure as the first member of the Bonnies ’26-27 recruiting class back in November. 

She had been on the radar of the Bonnies coaching staff for quite some time, thanks to her state title run as a sophomore.

“Once you come here and meet all the people, that’s what drew me into this school. People here want you to be the best you can be and to succeed,” she said. “It’s something I’m excited to be a part of. Bonaventure was one of the first schools that I started seriously talking to. I built a great relationship with the coaches. They always showed that they cared and wanted the best for me.”

Committing early helped take the senior year pressure off as she not only chased another state title, but plenty of history as well. 

She became the all-time leading scorer in Section III history, reaching 2,532 points in the Class A championship game as her senior year came to a close. Utica Notre Dame finished one win shy of another state title, still finishing with a stellar 25-1 record.

“I kind of had to put that aside and focus on what we wanted to accomplish as a team. It wasn’t in my mind during that game, and then right after the shot with about a minute left, knowing that I set the record and the work I put in paid off was special,” she said. “I tried to be a role model for the younger kids and hopefully setting that record sets a standard for those kids to set new records.”

In all, the 6-foot-1 forward/wing totaled over 1,400 rebounds and more than 400 assists along with nearly that many blocks during her varsity career. She was also First Team All-State as a junior after being the NYSSWA’s Class B Player of the Year as a sophomore as she poured in over 28 points and 14 rebounds per game during her high school career.

“I would describe my game as very versatile,” she said. “I’m going to do what it takes to make an impact on the game. If I’m not scoring that game, it could be rebounding, playing good defense, passing well.”

One of two true freshmen on this year’s Bonnies roster along with guard Lola Gralton, Trinkaus saw an immediate fit in the Bonnies’ system during her recruitment. 

“The system here fits my playing style in many ways. The 5-out offense, you can go anywhere; cut, screen. I like to move around and shoot, so I’m excited to see how things go,” she said. “Playing man defense, I can really use my length and versatility to help in that way.

“This is the right place for me, the right fit,” she added. “I’m really excited to see how this season goes.”