Prep Flyers (Wheelchair Basketball) Open Season In Tough Losses
Saturday (11/21/09) the Prep Turnstone Flyers wheelchair basketball team open their season at home vs the Grand Rapids Jr. Pacers. The Pacers outscored the Flyers 61-34 in winning all three games (20-13, 24-14, and 17-7).
The Prep Flyers moved up/aged out 4 players (all starters) from last season 3rd place national ranked team. Two of these players are now starters on the Varsity Flyers.
Additional pictures from this weekend games can be found at:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=125135&id=556508600&l=c676ff57da
Varsity Flyers next Tournament: December 4-6, 2009 Nashville, TN
Prep Flyers next Tournament: December 12 & 13, 2009 Rockford, IL
The Fort Wayne Bandits Open Season in New Division
The Bandits have been a premier wheelchair basketball team dating back to when they started in 1989. They’re coming off three straight Mid-American Wheelchair Basketball Conference (MAWBC) Championships along with finishing in the top 3 at D3 Nationals 5 times in the past 7 seasons.
This season the Bandits moved up from D3 to the ‘Champion Division’ which is the top Men’s wheelchair basketball division.
The Bandits 09′ first action was up in Rockford, IL on Sunday, November 22, 2009 where they loss in tight battles:
Turnstone Flyers Sled Hockey Team Showcase Skills in South Bend, Indiana
Group picture of Turnstone Flyers & Grand Rapids Sled Wings
The Turnstone Flyers Adult Sled Hockey played in South Bend, IN this past Sunday, November 22, 2009 where they played vs the undefeated St. Joseph’s High School AB hockey team and the Grand Rapids, MI sled hockey team. Both games were friendly scrimmages to honor Adam Milani, a 1984 St. Joe graduate who was paralyzed during a hockey game. Milani graduated from University of Notre Dame in 1988 and from Duke University Law School in 1991. He went on to become a renowned scholar on disability law, writing four books and numerous articles on the law of disability discrimination. Milani passed away in 2005, at the age of 39.
The St. Joseph’s hockey coach, Chris Kleva, spearheaded the event that raised enough funds to support both Grand Rapids and Turnstone sled hockey teams a new sled and a little extra for team expenses.
The Flyers along with a few Grand Rapids players defeated the St. Joe team 6-0. Grand Rapids then defeated Turnstone 2-0.
South Bend’s NBC affiliate (WNDU-TV 16) had local coverage on these games. Two video’s are posted on their site. I suggest watching the “Sled hockey game at St. Joe high school raises money for disabled players” piece: Check it out at http://www.wndu.com/localnews/headlines/71096182.html
