By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The Darting Basketball Academy is wrapping up Year No. 7 of its 3 on 3 Summer League this week at Shawnee Heights, drawing 205 participants and culminating with the crowning of Most Valuable Players in seven divisions.
On Monday night Cash Menke received the MVP award in the 8-9-year-old boys division, while Owen Pearson was the 10-11 boys winner and Noah Gunderson was the MVP in the 12-13 boys division.
Tatum Ewald and Jacienna Lane were the girls MVPs in the 9-11 and 12-13-year-old divisions, with Ewald a repeat winner.
DBA 3 on 3 Summer League 8-9 boys MVP Cash Menke (left) and 10-11 boys MVP Owen Pearson (right) pose with Kerry Darting for a picture after receiving their awards Monday night at Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
DBA 3 on 3 Summer League 9-11 girls MVP Tatum Ewald poses with Kerry Darting for a picture after receiving her award Monday night at Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
DBA 3 on 3 Summer League 12-13 girls MVP Jacienna Lane poses with Kerry Darting for a picture after receiving her award Monday night at Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
DBA 3 on 3 Summer League 12-13 boys MVP Noah Gunderson poses with Kerry Darting for a picture after receiving his award Monday night at Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
The high school division will finish up on Wednesday.
Kerry Darting said that the 3 on 3 league continues to be one of DBA's most successul programs, with the program using two gyms the past two summers.
The DBA 3 on 3 league has a unique format, with players rotating from team to team each game to give athletes an opportunity to team up with players of varying talent levels.
Players accumulate points with each win, leading to the crowning of MVPs in each age division at the end of the six-week program.
"Obviously they come in and work out and they do that to get better,'' Darting said. "And here they're obviously getting better, but they're having a lot of fun, too.''
