Basketball tournament: athletes uniting

From February 12-15, Union Adventist University hosted nine Adventist Academies from across the country for the annual Spring Basketball Tournament. Union has presented a multitude of events, the most recent was the annual Music Festival. However, tournaments hold a special place in many students' hearts, as they were, at times, the defining memories that led them to attend Union.

Continuing the long-held legacy of tournament, students began arriving on Wednesday, and the games started immediately on February 12 when both the boys’ and girls’ teams participated in pool play to determine the seeding for the rest of the tournament. 

This year, there was a change of venue. With the new Reiner Wellness Center, for the first time ever, all of the games were held exclusively on site. The process was streamlined as some games still took place in the Thunderdome and CVA gymnasium. There was a way for everyone to be part of tournament whether in person or online. As a result, unattending supporters were able to watch live games on Union’s Youtube channel through the live webcasting feature. Photos from the tournament are also available on Flickr.

The participating Academies consisted of Andrews Academy, Campion Academy, College View Academy, Madison Academy, Maplewood Academy, Midland Adventist Academy, Mile High Adventist Academy, Minnetonka Christian Academy, and Sunnydale Adventist Academy. Students received an opportunity to fellowship and get a taste for college life beyond the competitive game play. They also were able to attend the worship services over the weekend and participate in the social events held at Union. 

A current student at Union and former tournament attendee said, “I enjoyed meeting people that were also going to Christian schools and seeing the religious aspect of Union was cool to see. I really just loved getting the opportunity to meet other people that play basketball and love the Lord.”

The championship games were played throughout the day and finished up on Saturday night, followed by an awards ceremony.  For the girls, fifth place went to Mile High Adventist Academy, fourth to Campion Academy, third to Madison Academy, second to Andrews Academy and the Champions were College View Academy. As for the boys, Madison Academy placed fifth, College View Academy was fourth, Sunnydale Adventist Academy took third, Campion Academy snagged second and Andrews Academy took home the big win. Students were sent off with high spirits, a sense of accomplishment and deeper connections among their peers. 

By: Olivia Sweet