This April, the spirited competition that has always been prevalent in professional and college basketball tournaments was reflected among Poly’s Middle School faculty and students. On April 14, Poly had its own “May Madness,” a competition played very similarly to the renowned NCAA college basketball tournaments in March, also known as March Madness.
In the NCAA College Basketball Tournament, people all across America pick a college basketball team to support throughout the tournament. Similarly, in Poly’s Middle School, students in grades seven and eight competed in teams of three instead of five — the standard number of players. These teams were either composed of three students, or two students and one teacher.
The Middle School teams competed in two brackets, and the winners of each game continued to play each other in the next round. This continued until the final round. For grades seven and eight, the May Madness Tournament was held in the Legacy Gym, while for grades five and six the tournament was held in the Novogratz Gym.
In past years, this event was full of competitive spirit. Even though many teams are exposed to the disappointment of elimination in the first round of the competition, players have always competed among a lively and supportive audience.
The May Madness Tournament is fun to be a part of, whether it’s playing or spectating wins and heartbreaking losses. Zan Pervez, a seventh-grade student, said, “The atmosphere was insane and you almost felt the ground shake from the pure energy.” Another seventh-grade student, Ryder Rose added, “May Madness this year was far more enjoyable because the energy was higher and the final game was ecstatic!”
Overall, there were many great teams and competitors in the tournament this year. To conclude the finals, the University of North Carolina (UNC) Middle School team faced North Carolina State (NC State) — a team with students Christan Pratt, Julian Richards, and Khalil Spencer. Although the NC State team played well, the UNC team, including students Ian Archbold, Johnny Elefterakis, and Jack Corona, came out on top with a, six-to-three victory. Congrats to the UNC Middle School team for winning this year’s May Madness!