1, 2, 3, Dodgeball
Ryan Hall and Craig Nelson, of team Parent Hood, having fun despite being schooled by team Bring It On. Hall's son and Nelson's daughter are both eighth graders in Potomac and were on team Bring It On.
Sarah Lyngholm of the Misfits winds up to take a shot at the Ragun Caguns in the first game of the tournament. Lyngholm was named the Most Valuable Player for the tournament by the eighth grade class.
Clearwater Crushers' Cindy Super (left) and Thayer Jacques show no mercy to the Misfits' Sarah Lyngholm. The Crushers made it all the way to the final match where they lost in three games to Bring It On.
Bring It On went undefeated in the tournament. Back (L-R): 8th graders Keegan Fishel, Brennan Richardson, Bridger Hall, Kyla Nelson & Michaela Ailport. Front (L-R): Bowen Olson (7th grade), Ashbeigh Hall (5th grade) and 8th grader Jennie Kimmel.
Kaden Keto of the Misfits takes a shot a Nick Clark of the Ragun Caguns. Clark positions himself to catch the ball. If Clark gets hit, he is out. However if he catches the ball, Keto would be out on his side and another member of the Ragun Caguns could come back on the court.
Eighth-grade parent Doug Kimmel takes a shot at eighth-grader Bridger Hall. The rest of the Parent Hood team looks on.
POTOMAC – The Potomac eighth grade class team "Bring It On" not only obliterated the competition to win the Potomac 8th Grade Dodgeball Tournament, they also raised more than $1,400 towards their eighth grade trip to Catalina Island at the end of May. This leaves the seven, eighth-graders with just a little more than $1,000 still to raise for their trip.
Eighth grade parent and Potomac School board member Craig Nelson said the idea for the tournament came to him on the spur of the moment.
"We were looking at different things to do as fundraisers," said Nelson. "When this idea came up we laughed about it."
Upon further consideration, Nelson decided to pursue it since all the other options required quite a bit of up-front investment.
"What do you need to play dodgeball? A gym, [dodge] balls and people with money," said Nelson. "I think it worked out pretty well."
Eight teams of six to twelve players from around the area participated in the double elimination tournament. Participants came from Missoula, Seeley Lake, Greenough and the Potomac. Each adult paid a $20 registration fee and students paid $10 to play and received a t-shirt for their efforts.
Bring it On was quick to put their parents, team Parent Hood, into the loser bracket with a three game to one for the match win. They went on to beat the Misfits before the final game against the Clearwater Crushers.
The Clearwater Crushers came up through the losers bracket after losing to the Misfits in their second game. Bring it On showed no mercy winning the final match in three games.
This was one of many fundraisers the eighth-graders have put on to raise the $11,000 total for their trip this spring.
"These kids have worked really hard from cutting, splitting, stacking and delivering firewood, to gardening, yard work, selling tickets and fencing. There are just so many things," said Nelson. "With everything these kids have done they get tired. But once they get on that plane, they will know they have earned this."
The eighth-graders agreed that the dodgeball tournament was a fun way to raise money for their trip. They made the signs that decorated the gym and helped organize the event. They all agreed the best part was getting to play.
"We didn't ask any organizations for money," said eighth grader Kyla Nelson who was proud that her class didn't just ask for handouts. "We've done a lot of labor work. This [tournament] doesn't feel like work."
As a board member, Nelson is proud of this class for not having to dip into the savings that the Potomac School Board sets aside to fund the trip. "It's amazing to me that these kids have worked so hard that they aren't going to have to borrow from that," said Nelson.
The class will be in the Catalina Islands leaving May 22 and returning May 29. They will visit an aquarium in Catalina Island, snorkel in the ocean and get to study about animals and the marine ecosystem at the Long Beach Marine Institute for five days.
"I'm excited to dissect a shark and squid," said Jennifer Kimmel. Bridger Hall agreed that was what he was looking forward to most about the trip as well. Michaela Ailport is excited to be at the ocean again. For Keegan Fishel, this will be his first ride on an airplane.
"It's been a great adventure," said Nelson. "I hope everyone had a great time and I'm so proud of these kids and all the work they have put into their trip."
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