The Janesville Journal was asked to take another peek at some future prospects for the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams this past weekend. The JWP Bulldog Basketball Association hosted a combined 58 teams grades 3-6 for the Lyncon Olson Memorial Tournament, with the boys playing first on Saturday, November 23, and the girls playing the following Sunday.
The tournament is named after the well-beloved Lyncon Olson, who loved watching basketball, especially attending his daughters’ games; three out of the five were basketball players before graduating – Emily for St. Clair, and Faith and Alison for JWP. Their fourth daughter, Katie, will be on the team for her fourth season. Emily also coaches for JWP.
A 58-team tournament is challenging to organize. There were several tournaments by grade, and even some had to be split into “blue” and “silver” brackets or pools. Teams from all over the state came, too, including Mankato East and West, New Prague, and Dover-Eyota. Sioux Falls even sent a team to represent them at the tournament.
The boys had a fantastic Saturday, with the 4th grade squad winning their championship matchup. They downed New Prague 37-17 before upsetting Mankato East 33-24. Their toughest battle of the day was in the championship game against Mankato West. They were behind by a score at halftime but clawed their way back to an 18-18 tie. Although overtime was an option, the team scored on a last-second shot attempt, which was good for three to end it 21-18.
The JWP 6th grade squad had a good day, too, taking second in their pool tournament. They won both their games in Pool B, defeating Mankato East 27-14 before upsetting Waseca 20-15. They ended up facing Sioux Falls in their championship. Sioux Falls proved their decisive victories against St. Peter and NRHEG weren’t flukes, as they had a sizeable lead by halftime and ended up winning the tournament.
The 5th-grade boys had a challenging time. They ended up playing Waseca for 7th place.
JWP’s girls had a good showing, too. The 5th grade team made it to their championship, but St. Peter defeated them. Although the Lady Dawgs made it an 11-11 half, the Saints found their groove on offense and ran away with it. The 6th grade team also made their championship game, too.
The 3rd and 4th-grade teams were also very impressive. Even at their young age, they played with fierceness and a competitive spirit that a varsity player would have. One person even commented that they were surprised with how entertaining the JWP 3rd graders’ game against St. Peter was.
It was a fantastic weekend to see some of the future varsity Bulldogs show off their playing skills. It was also a great tribute to a man who loved his family and loved the game of basketball.
