United Spinal Jr Nets Win Championship
For the second consecutive year the United Spinal Junior Nets wheelchair basketball team is National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) Prep League National Champions and 13-year-old Dylan Levine from Paramus, NJ won the Most Valuable Player Award. The team defended their title at this year’s National Jr. Prep Championships at the RiverPlex Recreation and Wellness Center in Peoria, Illinois. The team, comprised of youths ages 14 and under, is co-sponsored by United Spinal Association and the New Jersey Nets. The tournament ran from last Friday, March 10 to Sunday, March 12.
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“It was a great team win and I am so proud of all the players, coaches and family,” said Re Marks, Head Coach of the United Spinal Jr. Nets, who went undefeated at the Nationals and won the championship 38-34 against the Sterling Heights Challengers from Michigan. “The players worked really hard as a team and the coaches were able to steer the players and the family members towards a winning direction. We are so proud of Dylan for winning the MVP, he is a great leader for the team. And Bryson McLeod was voted to the first tournament team.”
Marks added, “the team has so many people to thank for their support, especially the United Spinal Association and John Hamre [Associate Executive Director of Development]. Without their help in getting this team started, we would not have had this opportunity.” Marks also thanked other supporters which include the Christopher Reeves Foundation and Luigi Bruno, a father of Jospeh Bruno a player on the team, who helped the team fundraise $10,000.
Last season the team went undefeated, 16-0, clinching the championship title in Birmingham, Alabama against the Milwaukee Wheelin’ Wizards, 38-23. The team will also be competing at the 2006 Junior Division JV National Championships at the University of Nebraska in Omaha, Nebraska this Friday, March 17 to Sunday, March 19. The tournament will feature the top 16 wheelchair basketball teams from around the country. Last year, the Junior Nets placed third at the JV Nationals with a 2-point win against the Seattle Junior Sonics. The first place trophy went to the Mad City squad from Madison, Wisconsin.
United Spinal Association is a national membership organization for people with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D). Guided by the belief that the benefits of athletic competition are no different for athletes with disabilities than for the able-bodied, the Association sponsors a wide variety of wheelchair recreational and adaptive sports programs. Membership in United Spinal is free and open to all individuals with spinal cord disabilities. For more information call our toll free number, 800-404-2898.