Sports briefs
Published 3:06 pm Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Reporter Staff
MI boys basketball teams successful in Kansas tournaments
The Mercer Island sixth, seventh and eighth-grade boys basketball teams ended their seasons with a successful trip to Halstead, Kan., for the 2008 Heartland Spring Fling Tournament. The trip was a return to tradition for boys basketball on the Island, as it was modeled after the old Little Dribbler Texas trips that formerly took place each year at the end of the youth basketball seasons. In fact, many members of this year’s successful high school team were part of this tradition when they were playing youth ball.
The tournament was held in Halstead, Kan., a very small town of 3,000 people, about 45 minutes from Wichita. During the trip, the eighth and seventh-grade players stayed with host families, as the primary purpose of the trip — as was the case with the traditional Texas trips — was for the kids to experience basketball in a completely different setting. The basketball was very competitive, with teams coming from different parts of Kansas to play. The eighth-grade bracket included the number one AAU team in the state of Kansas. Each of the Mercer Island teams did very well, with the seventh-grade team coming in first place (including wins over two Wichita City All Star teams), the sixth-grade team coming in 3rd place and the eighth-grade team coming in 4th place.
The eighth-grade team was coached by Brad Chase. The seventh- and sixth-grade teams were coached by former Mercer Island players, respectively, Adam Nelson and Brandon Burmeister, and Kevin Chirls and Charlie Farra.
The eighth-grade team was comprised of the following players; Jeff Lindquist, Justen Altaras, Kyle Reitinger, Brian Miller, Charlie Meyers, Jeremy Chow, Michael Lewis and Michael Diamond. Players unable to attend: Parker Scott, Chandler Briscoe, Nic Soleto and Scott Vojik.
The seventh-grade team was comprised of : Will Taylor, Max Tilden, Matt Delman, Espen Platou, Brian Higgins, Sean Casey, Kyle Huber, Joe Rasmussen, Nikhil Misra, Mason Azose and Alex Emanuels. Player unable to attend: Nick Nordale.
The sixth-grade team was comprised of Jacob Stenberg, Josh Graham, Cray Bryan, Peter Welsh, Daniel Marinello, Chris Lawler, Steven Huber, Matt Seifert, Nate Schuler and Daniel Sims. Player unable to attend: Eric Schulz.
Islanders win Seattle Rotary Basketball league
A team of Mercer Island fourth-graders recently took first place in the season-ending tournament for the Seattle Rotary third- and fourth-grade winter basketball league. After a pair of big wins on Saturday, the Islanders advanced to face the Irish Gold, a very familiar foe, in the championship game. The Islanders controlled the tempo of the game from the outset and rolled to a 47-25 victory. It was a rewarding end to a season during which the team showed a tremendous amount of improvement. Including the playoffs, the Islanders team finished the Rotary league season with a record of 9-2. For the entire season, including tournaments, the fourth-grade Islanders compiled a 23-8 record.
Rockets win Mercer Island Boys and Girls Club title
The Rockets won this year’s fifth-grade Mercer Island Boys and Girls Club basketball Championship. Becca Moss and Alan Hall were coaches to players Michael Hall, Ryan Ottinger, Jeremy Moss, Anthony Pedreira, Alex Eriksson, Bryan Glant, Robert Ramji, Griffin Tiedy, Jake Rogers and Jack Vassau.
Mudville SP wins bronze in Arizona
Mudville SP won three games and lost one to capture the bronze medal in the seventh annual “Spring Training Championship” baseball tournament in Phoenix, Ariz., March 21-22.
In their first outdoor action of the season, the Mercer Island-based select baseball team of 13-year-olds opened the tournament on Friday against two elite travel teams from Arizona. Committing just one error in the two games and pounding out 20 runs earned them two convincing wins in pool play. Advancing to the semi-finals on Saturday, they lost in a back-and-forth thriller, 13-11, but then came through in the bronze medal game with a solid mix of pitching, hitting and defense to win, 8-5.
Overall, SP as a team hit .356, with an On-Base-Percentage of .531. The pitchers struck out 23 in 25 innings, and surrendered only 11 walks. Six Mercer Islanders played major roles for SP. Matt Orehek, Sean Casey and Logan Barton-Rowledge anchored an infield that committed just three errors in the tournament, with each getting on base at least six times in the four games. Brian Higgins caught every inning and belted three doubles, Alex Emanuels led the pitching staff and crushed a triple and two doubles, and outfielder Glenn Sherman was aboard six times, including a laser beam double off the wall in the final game.
Beginning in mid-April, Mudville SP will play in the Sandy Koufax league, Washington’s most competitive league for 13-year-olds. They are sponsored for the third consecutive year by Security Properties, owners of Mercer Island’s Shorewood Heights.
