The Community Youth Development basketball season wrapped up last weekend in Juneau, with all four Haines teams posting top-three finishes.
The “C” girls won their division at the Mike Jackson Memorial HoopTime Shootout, topping a Juneau squad in the final. The “B” boys and “B” girls were runners-up, falling to Juneau and Sitka, and the “C” boys placed third.
All-tournament performers for Haines included eighth-graders Dalton Klinger, Cameron Merklin-Bauer and Dylan Swinton in boys’ “B,” eighth-graders Brittney Bradford, Makayla Crager and Tulsi Zahnow in girls’ “B,” fifth-graders Carson Crager and Mark Davis in boys’ “C,” and sixth-graders Aireona Davis and Lindy Hill and seventh-grader Tailer Olsson in girls’ “C.”
Most of the Glacier Bears took a 3:30 a.m. ferry to make the start of the March 20-22 tournament. The “B” boys had three games that first day, and eight games overall, on their way to second place.
Haines athletes gained valuable experience and tested their improvisational skills during their grueling schedule.
“One of the fun highlights was seeing Tulsi Zahnow battle to the floor for the ball and, finding herself near her basket, she shot the ball from her knees and made it,” said coach Lori Giddings.