The 2008 National Prep Wheelchair Championship concluded on Feb. 24, 2008 with the Nebraska Red Dawgs defeating the Sterling Heights Challengers 34-20 to win the national championship. The No. 1-seeded Red Dawgs were led by tournament and championship game MVP Dylan Fischbach and all-tournament team member KJ Russ. Finishing in third place were the Turnstone Flyers who defeated the Bennett Blazers 20-18 in the consolation game.
The tournament was held at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia and hosted by Blazesports, a legacy organization of the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic games that provides sports training, competitions, summer camps, leadership training, and other recreational opportunities for those who with disabilities. Over 100 athletes between the ages of 8 and 13 formed the 14 squads that entered the tournament. The teams were co-ed and represented a variety of locales across the nation.
Wheelchair basketball is believed to have begun in 1946, and soon after spread across VA Hospitals throughout America. Today, over 181 basketball teams within twenty-two conferences participate in men’s, women’s, intercollegiate, and youth teams throughout the U.S. and Canada. The sport follows current NCAA basketball rules with the following exceptions: a player must dribble the ball with every two pushes of the chair, four seconds are allowed in the lane, and there is no double dribble infraction.
This year’s National Prep Wheelchair Basketball Tournament provided many athletes with disabilities a chance to engage in world-class athletic competition in a riveting atmosphere. “I’m really excited to play in this tournament. I really love basketball and to compete for the championship with my teammates and play some of the best teams in the country is going to be great,” said Georgia Blazer Christina Young before the tournament began.
About BlazeSports America BlazeSports America is a nonprofit organization that advances the lives of youth and adults with physical disability through sport and healthy lifestyles. For more information visit their website at www.blazesports.org.
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