RECORD NOMINATIONS FOR SA COUNTRY BASKETBALL JUNIOR CHAMPS.
RECORD NOMINATIONS FOR SA COUNTRY BASKETBALL JUNIOR CHAMPS.
The Coaches of Mount Gambier’s junior representative Under 14 and 18 basketball teams are in their final stages of preparation for the 2010 SA Country Championships being held in three metropolitan stadiums in Adelaide over the coming long weekend.
There are record nominations of 107 teams, eight more than last year, from all areas of country SA, Broken Hill and Mildura. Four divisions of competitions will be played in each of the Under 14 age groups and three divisions in the Under 18 Men’s and Women’s grades.
Last year Mount Gambier won the John Spooner Award for the Association winning most games in Division 1 competitions per team in the SA Country Junior Championships. This weekend will see the start of the defence of this prestigious perpetual Award. The Trophy has been named after John Spooner, the first Manager of a truly representative SA Country Under 16 Boys team which competed in the Australian Junior Basketball Championships. Spooner spent some time in Mount Gambier in the role of Junior Development Officer.
Mount Gambier has five teams competing in these Country Championships, four in Division 1 and a second Under 14 Girls team in Division 3.
All four Lakers Division 1 sides face tough assignments. The Under 14 Girls are in an eight team, two pools competition. Their strongest opposition will possibly come from Port Augusta which won the Port Pirie and Port Augusta Junior Tournaments and was runner-up at Whyalla. Millicent has dominated this age group in Junior Tournaments in the Limestone Coast and Western Victoria regions.
The Lakers Under 14 Boys will be competing in a ten team competition. Roxby Downs and Broken Hill have been the leaders in the Northern Tournaments. Mildura will be a talented and strong competitor while Murray Bridge and Great Southern have been successful this season.
The Lakers Under 18 Women have enjoyed success in the local Tournaments but will meet stiff opposition in their classy eight team competition. SYP had four representatives in the Australian Country Cup sides while Murray Bridge and Yorke Valley each had three. Port Augusta and Whyalla shared titles in the northern area Tournaments.
The competition will not be any easier for the Lakers Under 18 Men. Murray Bridge, Great Southern, Port Pirie and Eastern Hills appear to be the top four contenders. Whyalla has also been prominent in junior tournament results.
The Lakers Under 14 Girls playing in Division 3 are also in an eight team competition involving several second teams from the bigger Associations. Willunga and Adelaide Plains along with SYP appear likely finalists.
Presentations will be made to champion and runner-up teams following each of the 14 title games, which will be played on Monday.
The Under 12 and 16 SA Country Championships will be played over the weekend of March 27th and 28th.
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