No one takes credit for Swish success
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July 17, 2011 |
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2011 Swsh
director Ron Sukenik had a lot of
traveling to do over the course of the
two-day event, and he had a secret
weapon to get him there! |
"It just happened," everyone said.
"It" was the sweetest and smoothest Bonners
Ferry Swish to take place to date.
Director Ron Sukenik said he didn't do all that
much, and couldn't have done it without everyone
else. The Bonners Ferry Rotary Club, official
event organizers, seems to
think it all just happened by itself, too,
though more than 30 of its 38 members were
walking around with prized pale yellow T-shirts
identifying them as official volunteers.
"It's not about me," Sukenik said, "It's about
the volunteers and sponsors. It couldn't happen
without them."
Brett Brown and Brad Hollifield both said
they're glad the responsibility didn't once
again fall in their lap, even though the work
they did this year was little diminished from that of the
three years prior.
"It was fantastic," Sukenik said. "Flawless."
Seventy teams, 269 basketball players and one
main street all combined to make for one great
hoops weekend.
Neither the Rotary nor Sukenik were able to
shift the credit, but both tried. No matter
where you looked this weekend, you found local
civic groups, local businesses and local people
throwing in together to make everyone welcome
and prove why Bonners Ferry deserves the title
of the state's friendliest city.
There were Masons, Lions, Eagles, the Chamber of
Commerce, Beta Sigma Phi. Bonners Ferry High
School athletes competing, Bonners Ferry High
School cheerleaders cheering them on, at least
one member of the school board out in the heat
as a court monitor.
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Britta
Petersen |
And there was star power, and not just Seth
Franco, the amazing former Harlem Globetrotter.
"I got a call a few weeks ago from a young woman
who said she was working at the Boundary Creek
Wildlife Management area for the summer, that
she loves basketball and wants to play, but
doesn't know many people here," Sukenik said. "I
put the word out, and eventually found two more
players, and Boundary Abstract graciously
sponsored them."
It turns out that the woman who called him was
Britta Peterson, a senior at the University of
Wisconsin - Stevens Point, who happens to be a
four-year all-star, 2011
www.D3hoops.com
player of the year, Wisconsin Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference player of the year, fourth
place on the Pointer scoring list with 1,511
career points, second in school history with 664
made field goals, leading team scorer with an
average of 14.6 points per game, second in
shooting percentage at 58-percent, having hit
188 of 324 shots her senior year.
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DAD! how much
bigger do I have to be to play Swish! |
In high school in Luck, Wisconsin, she was three
time all-conference in basketball, three time
all-conference in softball and once in golf, and
wore a jacket with 12 letters in all three
sports. Her major, Wildlife Ecology and Resource
Management, brought her to Bonners Ferry, and
her request to Ron led her to be teamed up with
Kelly Wombacher, Missoula, Montana, and Michelle
Woods, Bonners Ferry, to form the "Boundary
Abstract" team.
They fell in their first match ... the first
time the three women played together as a
team, to Lavendar and Roses; Becky Lowther,
Lacey Dinning and Jennita Baker, 17-20, but
found their stride in game two, defeating the
Allie-Oops 17-10 and then the Salty Pirates
17-14 to make their way back into championship
competition, where they once again faced
Lavendar and Roses, who won the division, 18-16.
Britta echoed the
sentiments of nearly all who participated,
Sukenik said.
"Winning would have been great, but I haven't
had this much fun in years!"
And at the end of the summer, when her work here
is finished and she returns home, she's taking
with her memories and friendships that will likely last a
lifetime.
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| "Me,
too ... check out my moves! Am I
the next Seth Franco or what?! |
Other teams honored to wear the coveted Swish
2011 Champion T-shirts were the K Gals, 9-10
year old girls division, Girls Wired, 11-12,
Flower Power, girls 15-16. The Super Slackers
won the men's 19-35 6'+ division, Vicious and
Delicious won the men's 36+ -6' division. No
Blood No Glory won in the 9-10 year old boys
division, the Wolfpack won the 11-12 boys
division, and TFA won in the 15-16 year old boys
division.
For a full list of teams, team members and
winners,
click
here.
As mentioned earlier, Sukenik is loathe to claim
accolades.
"This was so great," he said. "The prior years'
directors (Brett Brown, Brad Hollifield) were
fully involved, and we had a core group of
volunteers (Anita Stockdale, Collette Allen, Jan
Klopfenstien and Robert Hanover) who were there
every step of the way. I'm not kidding ... we
had an organizational meeting Friday evening to
take care of all the last-minute details, and
when I walked into that room and saw how many
people were there, I choked up. It was amazing,
That's when it hit me ... this isn't about one
person or one group ... this is truly a
community event."
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| Idaho
National Guardsmen keep a weather eye
out as kids challenge a vertical "rock"
climb ... an attraction that was seldom
without a waiting line. |
Local businesses; Jill's, Under the Sun,
Huckleberries, Riverside Chevy and more, catered
to the crowds and added even more fun to the
festivities.
A business not yet even open yet, Mike Naumann's
Kootenai Brewing Company, opened a beer garden,
marking an unofficial debut after Saturday's
games that earned rave reviews.
And while the focus was defintely on basketball,
there were other activities, including a huge
hit with the kids, a rock climbing mountain
manned by the Idaho National Guard a bounce room
and a huge slide.
Even old folks had a great time.
"Why aren't you out there playing?" I asked
former county commissioner Murreleen Skeen.
"They don't have a category old enough for me!"
she laughed.
They did have categories for nine young members
of the Skeen clan, and Murreleen was there to
cheer for each of them. Another former county
commissioner, Merle Dinning, was on the
sidelines as well, and he looked ready to don
shorts and play!
And while the work was fast-paced, even the
volunteers doing it were having fun.
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| The
pale yellow shirts of Swish 2011 are a
mark of prestige, signifying a
volunteer. And the jobs aren't always
easy. Court monitors Corey Richardson
and David Brinkman were among many who
lived up to the challenge. |
"This is great!" said Tina Wilson, shuffling
papers and chasing down a minor snafu from event
headquarters control room in the museum.
Members from Boundary Volunteer Ambulance manned
an aid station.
"Nothing but a few sprains, cuts and scrapes,"
Allan Hamilton said as his wife, Vicky, watched
the action.
KBFI's JoJo Baker was at courtside, calling
action, making announcements and playing music
(hint, JoJo ... next year, go a little more
up-tempo!)
Making it all happen, in addition to those
already mentioned, were Caitlin Alexander, Roger
Alexander, Lindo Alt, Don Alt and John Alt.
Kenny Baker, Jonathon Bard, Tom Barrows, Steve
Binnall, Chris Boeckman, Dolly Boling (who not
only volunteered, but opened her store,
Hucleberries, to make sure everyone had
batteries and all the other things needed), Norm
Braatz, Patti Branson, David Brinkman, Megan
Brown and Tom Bushnell.
Kevin Callos threw in, as did Kristie Campbell,
Patrick Carson, Scott Coogan, the inestimable
Marciavee Cossette, Carrie Cox, Mike Cox, Wilma
DeVore and her husband Larry. Jean Diehl was
there, as were Larry Dirks, Zane Dittman, Jack
Douglas and his wife April, Jim Dunnington,
Jennifer English, Ketta Everhart, Penny
Fairchild, Joel Field, Jackie Gale, Bill
Goodanetz, Dave Gray and Dottie, Shawna Gust,
Rona Hall, Bob Hall, Fred Hendrickson, Corey
Hendry, Angela Hittle, Dick Hollenbeck (without
his dog,
Scout ... click and scroll down), Clarence
Jones,
Chamber of Commerce angel Brittany
Kersavage, Kirsten Madden, Ed Madden and MAs
orris McAllister.
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| Swish
isn't all about itself, but it is about
synergy ... and it's working. From runs
to rides to fairs, festivals and three
on three tournaments, Bonners Ferry is
living up to its reputation as the
"Friendliest Town in Idaho." |
Part Rotary President Bill McClintock couldn't
be left out, nor could Sean McCoy, USFS District
Ranger Linda McFadden or dentist Dr. David
McIntosh. Linda LaCrosse McLiesh, Christine
McNair, Pam Moe, Gary Mohler and Cheryl Navarro.
Lorraine Nicholas, Joe Nicholas, John O'Conner
of Bonners Books, Ray Olson. The Paulus clan was
there ... Kyle, Jim Jr. and Jim Sr.
Corey Richards was there to officiate, Barb
Robertson, she of the golden voice, was too,
alongside her husband, Ken, who as former Badger
basketball coach may well have helped account
for a bit of the talent seen on the tarmac.
Drew Sanders, Jake Sanders, Leslie Shelton and
Paul Shelton. Tony Shope, David Sims, Eric
Skeen, Murreleen Sken, and Ron and Evelyn Smith.
Don Solum, Karen South, Chase Stanley, Jessica
Stebbins and LeAnn Sukenik, who had as terrible
a time trying to keep track of her husband, Ron,
as did journalists trying to find a minute!
"He took off down there to take down the goal,"
she said, pointing off yon as events wound down
on day two.
Tom Sumpter was there, as was Badger baseball
coach Tom Turpin. So was Jennifer VanEtten,
Chamber president Rhea Verbanic, Rhonda Vogl,
Sam Wallace, Panhandle State Bank president Dave
Walter and his wife, longtime BFHS teacher
Brenda, Caleb Watt, Zack Wilson, Bob Wynhausen
and Blanche Youngwirth.
There were even volunteers who just showed up
too late to be added to the "official" list,
Audrey Schenk, Elaine Atkins, Mariah Munson,
Barb Sargent, Savannah Alt, Jake Wilson,
Alexander DeMarco, Dan Hill, Tom Ulappa.
And likely many more who pitched in and weren't
mentioned at all, and who don't mind.
Despite the great job he did, Ron's assessment
is pretty much what's expected of such an event
in Boundary County.
"It was great, and it just happened." |
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