6 JUNE 15, 2003
Smoke Signals
2003 Native Youth Co-Ed Basketball Tournament
I I,
By Peta Tinda
The first ever Native Youth Co
Ed Basketball Tournament was
held in Grand Ronde May 23-25.
The community came out to sup
port the youth during a weekend
of fun, togetherness and that
other longtime Indian tradition,
basketball.
The event was sponsored by the
Tribal Youth Prevention Program,
which strives to provide positive ac
tivities for Native youth to be in
volved in.
The tournament was a resound
ing success, with teams coming
from all over Washington and Or
egon to take part.
The 13 and under division had
four teams entered, the Grand
Ronde Team coached by Jim
Bruckner, the Agency Creek All
Stars, coached by Christina Lara,
team AI3 (the Allen Iverson Three)
coached by Melissa Sampson-Grier
and the Warm Springs team
coached by Sam Kneeland.
First place went to Warm
Springs, who received jackets. Sec
ond place went to A13, who re
ceived sweatshirts and third place
to the Grand Ronde Team, who
received t-shirts.
The most Valuable Player Award
went to Sharice Johnson of Warm
Springs.
The All Around Hustle Award
went to Lawrence Fiander, and
the Three Point Shoot Out winner
was Kevin Cumberland.
The All Star Players were Logan
Kneeland , Jasmine Graybael,
Albert Adams, Vance Brisbois,
Devine Dean, Unique Jackson,
Brandon Bruckner, Sharae
Cumberland, Erika Merrill and
Kevin Cumberland.
The 18 and under division had
6 teams entered.
The Grand Ronde team was
coached by Dustin Harmon, team
Skale-Whas of Nespelem was was
coached by Jeff Brisbois, team
Warm Springs was coached by
Rosa Graybael, team Glenwood
was coached by Justin Sampson,
Chiloquin was coached by Shari
Brown and the Savage Bailers,
from Warm Springs, was coached
by Lori Mitchell.
First Place went to Skale-Whas,
who received jackets. Second place
went to Glenwood, who received
sweatshirts and third place went
to Chiloquin, who received T
shirts. The Most Valuable Player Award
went to Danny Tonasket, The All
Around Hustle Award went to
Bron Tomeo, and the Three Point
Shoot Out Winner was Zach
Aguilar. The All Stars for the
weekend were JW Pakootas,
Marsha Pakootas, Fawnn Batton,
Starr Aranda, Zach Aguilar,
Arthur Mitchell, Isabel Yasann,
Romon Jackson, Janel Lara and
Highpine Eastman.
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With Less Than A Second On The Clock... Zach Aguilar, of White Swan, Washington, attempts a three point shot with less
than a second on the clock. Aguilar's Glenwood team lost the game with Nespalem's Skale-whas team. Aguilar won the 18 and
Under three point contest.
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Fast Break Glenwood's Zach Aguilar starts his team's fast break after pulling
down a rebound against Nespalem's Skale-whas in the tournament's championship
game. Skale-whas won the championship game by a score of 63-47 in Sunday's final.
The Kid Has Moves Colorful Ref
eree Chico Aranda watches as Ail-Around
Hustle Award winner Lawrence Fiander,
the smallest player in the tournament, puts
a move on a defender that stunned the
crowd. Fiander is a Yakama Native.
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Effort Grand Ronde Tribal youth Highpine Eastman shoots over two Nespalem defenders during tournament action.