4A/3A state basketball notebook: WIAA adds pizzaz to team's tournament experience

When teams advance, they are given a placard with their name on it - and players get to place it on the next step of their bracket

TACOMA, Wash. - After Camas had just taken care of business Thursday in the WIAA Class 4A girls basketball quarterfinals, a tournament official handed coach Scott Thompson a piece of paper.

It was no ordinary piece of paper: It was a cut-out with the "Camas" name.

And as the team huddled up, Thompson waved it around in celebration and handed it to its players to put on the tournament brackets as the advancing victor.

Photo by Todd Milles

For the first time, the WIAA has put a little "March Madness" from the NCAA Tournaments in the participant state championship experience.

"It was an idea from our marketing team," said Andy Barnes, the WIAA assistant executive director. "They saw it during last year's NCAA 'March Madness' and said, 'Let's do it here!'"

As the Camas players made their way to the Class 4A bracket, pinned on one of the grandstands walls in the Tacoma Dome, they began cheering and clapping before placing the placard on its appropriate place.

"I like it," Camas guard Reagan Jamison said. "The excitement when we did that makes us want to do it again, and do it again."

Added Barnes: "Everyone has embraced it. It seems like all the kids love it."

Photo by Todd Milles