Finding a spot at a restaurant was just about as difficult as securing a hotel room in Olathe last weekend and we absolutely loved it.
The Mid America Youth Basketball Girls Summer Nationals North came rolling into town Friday and more than 120 teams played some high-level basketball at venues in Olathe, Shawnee and Gardner. From first and second graders to juniors and seniors in high school laced them up and brought in close to $150,000 into our community.
Teams came from as far away as Minnesota to play in the prestigious, end-of-the-summer tournament, but teams from Kansas and Missouri won eight of the nine tournament championships, with Kansa steams grabbing gold in five age groups.
Here are your age division winners:
- First and second grade – KS Kansas Stars Elite
- Third grade – KS MoKan 3rd Red
- Fourth grade – MO Lady Mentality 2032
- Fifth grade – MO DS@6
- Sixth grade – MO Prep Hoops Academy 2030
- Seventh grade – KS SSA – 13U
- Eighth grade – NE 370 Select 8th Gold
- Ninth and 10th grade – KS SSA 15U Black
- 11th and 12th grade – KS Kansas Triple Threat Conklin
“It was a great tournament,” said Quinton Branch, coach of the seventh-grade champions. “It really means a lot that we’re able to see this type of different competition and different levels of competition.
“We were able to see a lot of teams from outside the area. We usually have to go out on the road to find this caliber of competition.”
The three-day tournament started Friday, July 26 and finished Sunday, July 28. The bracket pool took place at California Trail, Frontier Trail and Pioneer Trail middle schools in Olathe, as well as the New Century and Okun fieldhouses in Garner and Shawnee, respectively.
Hotels in Olathe were well over their occupancy numbers compared to at this time last year, thanks to the tournament that drew teams from Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa and even Minnesota. Last weekend saw hotels occupancy at more than 80 percent capacity vs. just 60 percent during the same weekend a year ago.
The hope is to have the MAYB tournament back in 2025 and beyond. We certainly loved welcoming the teams and their families into our community.
“We’d definitely like to see this tournament back next year,” Branch added.
