Rain? What rain? We have basketball – Mercer Island Boys & Girls Club rescues 3-on-3 tournament from the elements

By Matt Phelps

By Matt Phelps

The seventh annual Mercer Island Lid Challenge 3-on-3 basketball tournament was a bit less summer and a lot more artificial lighting this year. The rain that forced the event indoors didn’t dampen the competition or the fun of the “Tip off” event for this year’s Summer Celebration, according to the competitors.

“The spirit of our community came out and my heart is overwhelmed,” said event organizer Bob Burmeister.

The event is usually held at the basketball courts at the Park on the Lid. The wet weather on Friday put the event in doubt, but the community came together just in time, said Burmeister.

Burmeister first tried to get a hold of Mercer Island High School athletic director Craig Olson, who was on vacation with his family. The plan was to use the high school courts, but the Mercer Island Boys & Girls Club offered its facilities for the event instead.

“That is what community is all about,” said Burmeister. “We are really grateful. And this is our biggest ever, by a little bit.”

The loud music in the gymnasium, along with many spectators and officials, made for a fun but hectic environment.

“We are trying to create a spirit of chaos,” said Burmeister. “We just want the kids to have a great time.”

The event again played host to some local celebrities such as Baltimore Ravens’ quarterback coach Rick Neuheisel and the grand marshal of the event Debra Walker-Augurson, a former 3-on-3 world champion.

“I want to let kids know that if you stay positive and work hard you can become a world champion,” said Walker-Augurson, who is a new instructor with the Mercer Island Parks and Recreation Department. “This is just a positive place for the kids to be.”

The event played host to five different brackets, 23 teams and nearly 100 kids.

The newest addition to the event was the girls 14- and 15-year-old division. The event has had the division in past years but never had enough girls to play games.

The Cougsaders, comprised of Corey Fawcett, Ann Ricci and Jody Buck, took the title by defeating Azn Invazin in a best two-out-of-three final.

The teams split the first two games but the Cougsaders narrowly took the championship game 15-12.

“It was just a lot of fun,” said Fawcett. “We went to Hoopfest and this was just as competitive.”

The largest division by far was the boys 10- and 11-year-old bracket with 10 teams vying for the championship.

Ultimately the Longhorns — Justen Altaras, Parker Scott, Scott Vojik and Matthew Kundert — took the title by winning all five games they played. The championship was a close game, but the Longhorns defeated the Wildcats 11-9.

The games were refereed by court monitors, who are former Mercer Island basketball players.

“I came through the programs on the Island and I just like coming out to support the young kids who have a passion for the sport,” said referee Tyler Besicker. “Basketball is always better outside on a sunny day, but this has a better atmosphere. I just want to see good sportsmanship and a competitive fire.”

The 12- and 13-year-old boys division had half as many teams but was just as competitive. The Holy Rollers — Sloan Aikens, Jack Harrison and Treston Donovan — went 4-1, but eventually won the championship game over Team Domination 15-9. The battles between Domination and the Rollers were epic, as the first meeting went to the Rollers in overtime and the second game went to Domination.

The girls 12- and 13-year-old division saw four teams play a total of six games as Basketball Babes won the championship game over the Queens 15-9. The Babes were comprised of Ashleigh Diamond, Blue Gaston and Hannah Lilly.

“This is a fun thing to do when the season isn’t going,” said Maddy Kleiner of the Whippets.

Only two teams competed in each of the boys and girls 14- and 15-year-old divisions.

In the boys division, the Grundle Munchers took on the Ballers. The Grundle Munchers swept the best-of-three in two games to take the title. Gundle Munchers were made up of John O’Meara, Tom Eddy and Paul Morse.

“It is just fun to compete against friends,” said Grant Sutherland of the Ballers. “I kind of wanted to play outside, but anything works as long as it is basketball.”

Lid Challenge

3-on-3 basketball

tournament

championship results

10- and 11-year-old boys

Championship

Longhorns 11,

Wildcats 9

12- and 13-year-old boys

Championship

Holy Rollers 15,

Team Domination 9

12- and 13-year-old girls

Championship

Basketball Babes 15, Queens 9

14- and 15-year-old girls

Championship

Cougsaders 15,

Azn Invazin 12

14- and 15-year-old boys

Championship

Grundle Munchers 15, Ballers 8

Tournament teams for 3-on-3

10-11 Boys

Fearsome

Foursome

Nick Nordale

Brian Higgins

Matt Delman

Sean Casey

Cool

Runnings

Charlie Meyers

Phillip Pugel

Jake Shaddle

Brandon Shin

DC Dukes

Eric Stefanchik

Jeff Lindquist

Jason Hatch

Denton Garret

Huskies

Quinn Snell

Cameron Ogard

Aaron Hanan

Dynamite

Eytan Raphaely

Jack

Allenbaugh

Nikhil Misra

Max Wooten

Wildcats

Michael Lewis

Michael

Diamond

Jeremy Chow

Adam Jelinek

Hot Streaks

Conne Nielson

Josh Lee

Kyle Baska

Duel Meadows

Pedros

Liem Tu

Austin Scarff

Keoni Ogawa

Marcus Wurste

Blackhawks

Ryan Dresse

Kyle Foreman

Chase Olson

Joe Neuheisel

Longhorns

Justen Altaras

Parker Scott

Scott Vojik

Mathew

Kundert

12-13 Boys

Street Heat

Charlie Kern

Derek Newhof

Quinn Sterling

Ben Emanuel

Domination

Colin Dresse

Blake Bentz

Hank Thayer

Joe Evans

Razor Clams

Jeremy Hagen

Conner

Beckwith

Ryan Sikma

Holy Rollers

Sloan Aikens

Jack Harrison

Treston

Donovan

Eruption

Nate Sikma

Michael

Foreman

Will Locke

Conner

Foreman

12-13 Girls

Island Hoop

Queens

Alyson Abe

Hailey Gullstad

Meredith

Pothoven

Sarah Taylo

Basketball

Babes

Ashleigh

Diamond

Blue Gaston

Hannah Lilly

Tsunami

Courtney

Mitchell

Monica

Caresma

Elizabeth

Bakman

Patty Chew

Whippets

Tara Nielson

Erika Baska

Whitney

Lundberg

Maddy Kleiner

14-15 Boys

Grundle

Munchers

John O’Meara

Tom Eddy

Paul Morse

Ballers

Peter Zajac

Grant

Sutherland

Jordan Turner

14-15 Girls

Azn Invazin

Janelle Chow

Lyanne Abe

Deborah Wang

Keona Moy

Cougsaders

Corey Fawcett

Ann Ricci

Jody Buck