COMPILED BY ELIZABETH GOLDMAN/EDITOR IN CHIEF, SOFIA WILLIAMS/MANAGING EDITOR, JENNA WALTER/EXECUTIVE THEME EDITOR, CHARLOTTE LEVY/THEME EDITOR AND INDIA KOHEN/STAFF WRITER
Costa’s Associated Student Body (ASB) organized the second-annual three-on-three basketball tournament in Costa’s athletic complex to celebrate March Madness from March 8-21 during lunch.
Costa students participated in the tournament by signing up in groups of three with creative team names. In addition to ASB advisor Lisa Claypoole overseeing the event, ASB members were assigned positions for each round as commissioner, scorekeeper, and referee.
“My favorite part of the basketball tournament was getting to compete against fellow students with some of my best friends,” said senior Luke Schauwecker. “We had fun in all of the games and really enjoyed the competition that came with every game.”
Up until March 6, the games took place in the Pavilion Gym, with eight teams playing on the four courts each round. As the games progressed, the tournament moved to the Main Gym, which allowed for 12 teams to play on the six available courts, and for a larger court and audience in the final rounds.
“I like playing in the Main Gym better because there is more room to create ball movement, which allows me to play my game better,” Schauwecker said.
Out of the 32 teams that played in the first round, only 16 advanced: Team Laundros 2.0, Leon, Oreo, Ok, JRC, Mahi, Kool Aid Jam, JIJ, VV Elite, Zimmy, Slime, Cutie Pies, Lullaby, Hoopers, Yellow Raindeers, and Eco.
“It was so fun to bond with my lacrosse teammates in another sport,” said senior Meghan Witherell. “I have never played basketball before, but the tournament was still a blast, and we only lost by one point.”
Laundros 2.0, Team Oreo, VV Elite, Team Eco, JRC, Team Lullaby, Team Slime, and Kool Aid Jam were the eight teams that made it to the quarterfinals. That round, Team Slime, Team Lullaby, Laundros 2.0, and Kool Aid Jam were eliminated, while the victorious teams moved to the semifinals.
“I liked how the tournament allowed me to play low-stress games with my best friends,” said senior Joe Brewer. “The games were competitive but still fun.”
In the semifinals, VV Elite played against Team Eco on court one, while Team Oreo played against Team JRC on court two. VV Elite, which consisted of seniors Joe Brewer, Cole Crotty, Schauwecker, and Dylan Black, and JRC, which consisted of juniors James Reach, Charlie O’Connor, and Reese Leonard, won the semifinal games, advancing to the final round, which was postponed to March 21.
“I think all three of us helped in different games, and as a team everyone played a part throughout the tournament,” O’Connor said.
On March 21, JRC and VV Elite battled against each other in the finals in the Main Gym. Senior ASB officers Jack Nammack and Kai Bridges were the announcers and kept score for the round.
“We were definitely the underdog going into the game, but everyone on our team did their job, and we ran away with the game,” said O’Connor.
O’Connor made the first basket, initiating the final round. Team JRC’s defense managed to block VV Elite from scoring. The final score was 15-2, making Team JRC the champions of the 2023 tournament.
“We weren’t able to win the final game because our shots weren’t falling, and we were getting mixed up in defensive assignments,” Shauwecker added. “They are a very talented team that can make shots, and they took advantage of our defensive mistakes.”
Team JRC was rewarded with bragging rights and its choice of gift cards. Winners Reach, O’Connor, and Leonard all selected Chick’Fil-A gift cards as their prize.
“Our team [VV Elite] made it to the finals because of our teamwork and play-making abilities,” said Brewer. “But JRC was able to win the tournament because they had a really athletic and well-rounded team.”
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