The Newman Catholic 7th grade boys basketball team won second place in the Wisconsin State Invitational Championship Tournament in La Crosse on March 24 and 25, 2018. Newman Catholic players Thomas Bates and Isaac Seidel were selected to the Divison 4/5 All-Tournament team.
This elite tournament, which is organized by The Great Northwest Basketball League, brought together 97 of the top community-based 7th grade boys basketball teams from all across the State of Wisconsin to play either 6 or 7 games over the two-day weekend. State Champions were crowned in four divisions: Division 1, Division 2, Division 3 and Division 4/5, based on the enrollment of the high school into which each team feeds.
The Newman Cardinals 7th grade team finished 2nd in the Divison 4/5 field, falling to Bangor in the championship game 63-49.
“The boys should be incredibly proud of themselves. They committed themselves to getting better from the first day to the last. They were tremendous ambassadors for Newman Catholic Schools and represented themselves with distinction” said Assistant Coach Shawn Sullivan.
The Wisconsin State Invitational Championship Tournament is an annual event, held in February, March or April of each year, pitting the top community-based teams in the State of Wisconsin against each other. The tournament is organized by size of communities, much like the WIAA state high school tournaments, so that top teams can compete on a level playing field with other programs their size.
Photo, courtesy of Newman Catholic: Front Row (L-R): Jackson Pfender, Conner Krach, Owen Sullivan, Eli Gustafson
Back Row (L-R): Head Coach Ed Kraimer, Trent Kraimer, Mason Prey, Thomas Bates, Isaac Seidel, Asst. Coach Shawn Sullivan
