Players and volunteers alike had a great time at the 2016 NIRSA National Basketball Championships!

The venue may have changed this year, but the action and excitement at the 2016 NIRSA National Basketball Championships remained at an all-time high. The Ohio State University saw 84 teams with 843 participants, along with 70 professional staff volunteers and 57 student officials, converge in Columbus, Ohio to see who could survive, advance, and eventually be named the national champions of the Men’s and Women’s Club and Intramural Divisions.

Running the National Basketball Championships is an extremely tall order, and it was one the Ohio State University Department of Recreational Sports has been preparing for since last year’s tournament. “It definitely took a collaborative effort from our host staff, NIRSA, tournament committee chairs and committee members, special guests, volunteers, and tournament sponsors in order to make this grand event successful,” says Dexter Shorter, Coordinator of Competitive Sports at the Ohio State University and the Tournament Co-Director. He goes on to say that “providing an extraordinary and inclusive experience for everyone was our overall goal and we believe that it was reached. As a result, we are looking forward to building upon what was established during this year’s championships while we serve as the host in 2017 and 2018 as well as continue the strong legacy of last year’s host, North Carolina State University.”

In attendance at the tournament this year was Stan Shingles, Assistant Vice President of University Recreation, Events & Conferences at Central Michigan University as well as the outgoing President of the NIRSA Board of Directors. The impression he took away from this championship weekend was nothing short of amazement. “The NIRSA Champions Series National Basketball Tournament allows activation of the NIRSA values on so many levels,” Stan says. “The engagement of NIRSA volunteer member tournament staff and student officials not only allows for successful tournament delivery, but professional engagement and development for over 100 members and students. It’s another example of the commitment our volunteer leaders make to the success of Association initiatives, but also to student success for all the participants in the tournament. It was simply a tremendous weekend.”

With 843 participants representing 84 teams in the Intramural, Club, and Unified Divisions, it’s hard to ignore the impact the teams had on this tournament. Twenty-eight states were represented from across the United States, and each individual was looking forward to gaining tremendous experience as well as having the opportunity to bring home a national title for their team and institution.

“The Ohio State Basketball Club Ballstars had a memorable weekend at the 2016 NIRSA National Tournament,” says Timothy Grosel, member of the 2016 Men’s Club Division OSU Ballstars. “We were able to come together as a team and fight through tremendous adversity to win the 2016 National Championship on our home court. While we had some incredible individual performances from players, our performance this weekend was truly a team effort. We would like to thank NIRSA leadership, the student officials and tournament volunteers, as well as OSU Rec Sports for all of their hard work to make the tournament a success. The competition at the tournament was top-notch.”

New to this year’s tournament was the addition of the Unified Sports Division. Unified Sports is an inclusive sports program that unites Special Olympics athletes and their partners as teammates for training and competition. This year, NIRSA and the Special Olympics began a partnership to promote and incorporate the Unified Sports program at campuses nation-wide. Alabama, Wisconsin, Central Michigan, and Montclair State partook in the four-team inaugural division.

“I could not have been happier and more excited for how the Unified Division went during the national championship. The NIRSA National Basketball Championships are an opportunity to recognize the best recreational basketball players at a club and intramural level annually by bringing them together in competition,” beams Scott George, Assistant Director of Competitive Sports & Summer Camps at Central Michigan University. “Seeing Montclair State, Central Michigan, Wisconsin, and Alabama compete in the first ever Unified Division at a NIRSA National Championships is a memory I will hold forever,” says Scott. “Whether it was partner guarding partner, athlete guarding athlete, or partner guarding athlete, the Unified games exemplified what the NIRSA does best: creating a one-of-a-kind experience and opportunity for students who love sports and recreation to compete against, socialize with, and interact amongst others with similar passions.”

While many of the student participants were enjoying the spirit and atmosphere of competition as players, another group of students were working on the other side of the ball. Fifty-seven student officials from 43 institutions were gaining valuable knowledge and training as officials for the National Championships. Seventy volunteer staff members worked as evaluators on the Officials’ Committee to giving crucial tips and advice regarding officiating. Both June Courteau and JD Collins, the National Women’s and Men’s Officials Coordinators of NCAA Basketball, were also on hand to impart their vast wealth of knowledge and experience and help the student officiating staff grow.

Shane Land, Assistant Director of Intramural Sports at the University of Central Florida and the Co-Director of Officials, had nothing but positive thoughts about the student officials and Officials’ Committee this year. “If you looked at the entire group of officials we had, from top to bottom, they were the most consistent that I have seen,” says Shane. “I felt the staff did exactly what they needed to do in terms of professionalism. This is a learning environment, and I think the staff was very focused on this learning environment to make sure the students got the most out of this weekend.”

Ashley Lax, Assistant Director of Competitive Sports at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and member of the Officials Evaluation Committee, adds, “The opportunities and experiences that were had over the weekend rival clinics and instruction that professional officials receive. The coolest part was seeing officials grow after every game; to take feedback and instantly incorporate it into what you do is no easy feat, and we had 57 young student officials working hard every game to get better.”

The student officials also felt that the opportunity to referee at the National Championships could not have been any more outstanding. Hanna Keller, student official from Wright State University, says, “This tournament experience was the best I’ve ever had. I would encourage everyone to strive to be an official at the National Tournament. The feedback, knowledge gained, and lifelong friendships made at the 2016 National Basketball Championships will forever be a favorite memory of my time as a student official.”

John Pape, student official from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, adds, “This weekend was a fantastic opportunity for me to learn more about officiating. Working as a basketball official, you can learn a lot of life skills; including communication, conflict management, and most importantly, how to balance your life.” TaJuan Bell, student official and Graduate Assistant of Recreational Sports & Wellness at Mercer University, adds, “The lasting connections and relationships I was privileged to make with individuals from all across the country, who share the same passion for the tremendous career of officiating as I do, means so much to me.” Michelle Liu, student official and Intramural Supervisor from Stony Brook University, tops things off saying, “The tournament was definitely a humbling experience. There were a lot of adept and experienced student officials and clinicians who participated. It made me realize how many young and talented officials there were all across the country and how much further I can improve my officiating skills.”

With pool play and elimination games, as well as the three-point contest and slam dunk competition, the Recreation & Physical Activity Center at the Ohio State University was the place to be on tournament weekend. Months of practice and preparation for both teams and staff led up to this moment. When all was said and done, five teams, 30 players, and nine officials emerged victorious with a national championship or all-tournament honors:

Championship Game Scores

Men’s Club: OSU Ballstars (grey) 64, James Madison University 51
Women’s Club: USC 43, UW-Madison (red) 38
Men’s IM: NC A&T – Undisputed 49, Grand Canyon University 34
Women’s IM: NC A&T – Legacy 47, Grand Canyon University 24
Unified: Alabama 51, Central Michigan 43

Men’s Club All-Tournament Team

Ryan Murray, Ohio State University – Ballstars (MVP)
Marquis Gaines, Ohio State University – Ballstars
Michael Fradette – James Madison University
Michael Shepherd – James Madison University
Michael Mendes – Boston College
Conner Litt – Air Force

Women’s Club All-Tournament Team

Nicole Tolbert, University of Southern California (MVP)
Christianna Willis, University of Southern California
Stephanie Hetto, UW-Madison
Katelyn Crothers, UW-Madison
Katie Friel, Virginia
Kendall Dalkiewicz, Virginia

Men’s IM All-Tournament Team

Juwan Washington, Grand Canyon University (MVP)
Bryan Akinkugbe, North Carolina A&T – Undisputed
Elvin Jackson, North Carolina A&T – Undisputed
Richard Whitehead, Grand Canyon University
Josh Story, Middle Tennessee State University
Martin Cuesta, Georgia Tech – Single A All-Stars

Women’s IM All-Tournament Team

Shavonne Duckett, North Carolina A&T – Legacy (MVP)
Renee Welfare, North Carolina A&T – Legacy
Chiderah Uzowuru, Grand Canyon University
Kelsie Sanborn, Grand Canyon University
Umeika Henry, Columbus State University
Brittany Baum, Middle Tennessee State University

Unified Sports All-Tournament Team

Roderick Patton (Athlete), Alabama (MVP)
Ivan Bailey (Partner), Alabama
Aundria Fell (Partner), Central Michigan University
Ryan Stremlow (Athlete), Central Michigan University
David Keller (Athlete), Wisconsin
Brian Pitts (Athlete), Montclair

All-Tournament Officials

Gregory Deverson, University of Florida
Hanna Keller, Wright State University
Dannica Mosher, University of Central Florida
Robert Hussey, University of Central Florida
Agon Abazi, Cal Poly – Pomona
Michael Thanos, Purdue University
TaJuan Bell, Mercer University
Fredrick Gipson, Middle Tennessee State University
Alex Brunelle, East Carolina University

For complete tournament coverage, including game recaps and award winners, visit the NIRSA Championship Series website and check out the @NIRSAChamp handle on Twitter and Instagram.

The NIRSA National Basketball Championship will return to the banks of the Olentangy River as Ohio State begins preparing its second year hosting in 2017. To learn more about the NIRSA Championship Series—including information on 2016–2017 regional and national tournaments—visit the NIRSA website.

For more information about the 2016 NIRSA National Basketball Championships, please contact NIRSA Director of National Sport Programs Valerie McCutchan.