By Alyssa Whitney

There is no denying the NIRSA Championship Series National Basketball Championship tournament at North Carolina State University this past month was a success!

With over 1,000 athletes from more than 50 different universities across the United States in participation, the competition and emotions were high.

Whether you were in attendance, able to catch a game via live-stream video, or were following along with the #NIRSABBall hashtag, you witnessed an atmosphere and athleticism demonstrating this was more than just a game.

The 2014 NIRSA Championship Series National Basketball Championship tournament was a huge success!

Pulling off a tournament of this caliber takes hard work, preparation, and a lot of organization. The tournament, held April 11-13, was not only a time for players to come test their skills against other top teams in the nation, but a time for some to develop both personally and professionally. This rang true for one participant who commented, “It was clear that this tournament was not only about the experience for the players but also the development of students and their journey into the next professional level.”

Student officials were afforded the opportunity to learn from the greatest. Speakers at the officials clinic included NBA official Tony Brothers and prominent collegiate officials and supervisors Bobby Pennington, Rick Ridenhour, Ed Rush, and Rob Rorke. Additionally, students were able to submit questions to a panel of well-known officials that included JB Caldwell and Tommy Salerno among others.

Dave Gaskins, Co-Director of Officials said of the weekend, “The NIRSA Basketball tournament assembled 51 of the brightest intramural officials in the United States in an atmosphere that replicated the finest elements from high school, collegiate, and professional officiating camps. The focus during the tournament was on teaching and learning, with a goal of improving skills for every official who attended. Each official was given their videotaped games with a voice over from one of the clinicians and received a spreadsheet which summarized every evaluation comment made throughout their experience.” And, in nod to the importance of ongoing learning, over the weekend 24 officiating camp scholarships were donated and awarded to participants.

Thanks to the outstanding official and volunteer staff who made the 2014 Championships such an incredible tournament!

Congratulations to the National Champions and All-Tournament Teams

Men’s Club

Yale University

Men’s Club All-Tournament Team

Hasan Khan, USC
Austin Cagley, Cornell
Mark Patterson, Cal Poly SLO
Peter Rubis, Cal Poly SLO
Ezra Ritchin, Yale
Will Bartlett, Yale (MVP)

Men’s Intramural

Georgia Tech

Men’s Intramural All-Tournament Team

Matthew Smith, Georgia Tech
Rex Baxter, Texas
Terrance Granger, Virginia State
Justin McCain, Columbus State
Damion Brown, Columbus State
David Spain, Georgia Tech (MVP)

Women’s Club

James Madison University

Women’s Club All-Tournament Team

Shaikiera Armstrong, Armstrong Atlantic
Quinn Kesselring, Gonzaga
Marguerite Rivara, Penn State
Mara Fitzgerald, Penn State
Naadira Moyston, James Madison
Stephanie Scope, James Madison (MVP)

Women’s Intramural

North Carolina State A&T

Women’s Intramural All-Tournament Team

Jasmin Tolson, Georgia Southern
Umika Kenry, Columbus State
Tiffany Williams, NC A&T
Brianey Winslow, NC A&T
Mercedes Lopez, Angelo State
Kim Haynes, Angelo State (MVP)

Officials All-Tournament Team

Kyle Bowen, Grand Valley State
Nick Lewis, East Carolina
Nick Meyer, Oakland
Rachael Rayford, Purdue
Tyler Ricks, Georgia
Brandon Schwab, UCF

North Carolina State University is known for being outstanding tournament hosts; they have come to embody the proverbial well-oiled machine. One participant was quoted saying, “The welcoming environment, clean facilities, and customer service oriented staff all stood out in this outstanding experience.”

However, none of this would be possible without the professional staff and volunteers who fly from all over the country to be a part of such a special event. Mary Yemma, Co-Tournament Director says, “We were excited to host an amazing tournament. A special thank you to all of our visiting professional staff and student officials for helping to run a successful event that focused on professional and student development. We are looking forward to continued growth and success of the NIRSA National Basketball Championships!”

In case you missed any of the action, including the slam dunk contest that was judged by three members of the NC State Men’s basketball team, the 3-point contest, or the games themselves, head on over to Vimeo or Youtube for video clips and full-length games.