By Heidi Hach
Great Northwest Basketball League

In March the Madison East seventh-grade boys basketball team participated in the Wisconsin State Invitational Championship Tournament in La Crosse. This tournament, organized by The Great Northwest Basketball League, brought together 90 of the top community-based seventh-grade boys basketball teams from all across the state. State champions were crowned in four divisions, based on the enrollment of the high school into which each team feeds.

The Madison East seventh-grade boys team played in Division 1, finishing in 19th place with two wins and four losses. The team is coached by Zach Watson. Mark Watson is the assistant coach and Bridget Thomas is the team manager.

The Wisconsin State Invitational Championship Tournament is an annual event, held in February, March or April of each year, pitting the top community-based teams in the State of Wisconsin against each other. The tournament is organized by size of communities, much like the WIAA state high school basketball tournaments, so teams can compete on a level playing field with other programs their size. Separate tournaments are held for fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth-grade boys and girls.