by Christine Owen
Managing Editor
Playing host to the largest field of competitors in recent years, this year’s intramural basketball competition has drawn a diverse crowd of participating students and faculty to make it the most popular sport to play on campus.
This year’s ASF co-commissioners and intramural coordinators, Joey Gill and Dan Miyashiro, said that better organization is what led to increased participation for intramural basketball this year.
“A lot of people come from playing high school sports and don’t participate in sports anymore and it [intramurals] gives them a chance to play as an organized team,” Gill said.
The 16 teams that are competing have been divided into four divisions and on May 2 and 3, the top two teams from each division will compete for the championship. During the championship tournament, the teams will participate in single elimination competition in a four-round tournament.
The players leading after three weeks of competition in total points scored are Steve Rugg (76) of Team Lavar, Jason Riley (60) of 3rd Straight Championship and Sergio Rojas (54) of The Playaz. Leading the three-point basket category are Ryan Smith (12) of The Bulls, Rugg (10) and Jarrod Hesler (7) of Thug Life.
One team that is currently undefeated and will pose a threat in the championship round is a team by the name of 3rd Straight Championship. Why the name? A trio of juniors, Cedric Clark, Jason Riley and Kelli Obrero, have been playing intramural basketball together since their freshman year and has won the championship each year. “We’re not really into numbers, so let’s just say that in three years, we haven’t lost,” Clark said.
“We don’t take anybody lightly and we’re not cocky, but one of the reasons we do so great is that we just try to have fun,” Riley said.
In addition to a strong turnout of participants, intramural basketball has drawn a large crowd of spectators that loyally come to watch their friends play every week.
“What I like about intramurals is that it’s a positive event that we can put on where we’re going to get a big turnout no matter what sport it is,” Miyashiro said.
Journalism operations manager at the University of La Verne. Production manager and business manager of the Campus Times.
