North Sound Elite team wins AAU Select Tournament

Five Arlington High School basketball players, Shea Struiksma, Zach Cooper, Eric Carlson, Griffin Ginnis and Blake Petersen, have finished their season at AHS and are playing with the North Sound Elite AAU Select Traveling Team and they won 60 - 51 at the first AAU Select tournament championship game during the weekend of Feb. 23.
Struiksma just finished playing with the AHS freshman team and the other four were on the AHS Junior Varsity team this past season.
The Arlington boys play with other ninth-graders from around the area, including Kyle Impero from Nooksack, Ashton Hansen from Lake Stevens, Dominic Masinelli from Everett, James Cline from Everett, Jeff Miles from Marysville and Matt Magee from Ballard.
The team coach and president of the North Sound Elite organization is Ron Weems, from Lake Stevens.
Considering that this was their first time playing as a team, the boys looked as though they have played together for years. When watching the boys play, its hard to believe that they are only in ninth grade. The pace of the games and the strength of their defense proved to win within a very competitive bracket, Weems said.
It is my pleasure to have come in contact with such good and talented basketball players. Now, I have the pleasure of assisting in developing them as young men in the game of basketball. I can only give them the tools. I hope they use these tools to the best of their ability, Coach Weems added.
In March, the team will participate in a national qualifier tournament to be eligible to participate in the national tournament, which is the big dance for us, Weems said.
A fundraising golf tournament will be held April 13 at Gleneagle Golf Course to help cover travel expenses to the national tournament.
The team is looking for sponsors, donations and golfers to play.
For information call Ron Weems at 360-631-6445.

Comment on this story.