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Swishfest held for first time in two years

The 21st annual Swishfest was held over the weekend of April 10 and 11. Boys and girls basketball teams between grades 4 through 8 came to compete in Malta's gyms and put their hardcourt talents on display. Each of the winning teams received pullovers.

Each team was allotted 30 wristbands for their teams' spectators. This helped to control the amount of people in each of the gyms, and make the transitions between games run smoothly.

The Swishfest Tournament is put on by the Malta Athletic Club and helps them donate to all of Phillips County youth athletic teams.

Malta Athletic Club President Carter Clausen said, "All of the money that the club gets goes right back into Phillips County athletic programs. From some 4H stuff, wrestling clubs, money for football equipment and basketball equipment. We've helped get things for the Dodson, Saco, and Whitewater weight rooms. It all goes back into the athletic programs."

This years' tournament had a total of 52 teams, which is more than they had the last time it was held, two years ago, and about the average that they get overall.

"It is usually held the first weekend of April, but with that being Easter, we were pushed back a week." Clausen said. "When that happens, it's usually a down year, because by then, junior high track is in full swing. So if we had gone a week earlier, I believe we would have had even more teams."

Clausen didn't believe that Covid-19 had anything to do with this years' tournament at all. They gained four teams from Billings and others from that direction. He said that the gain of those teams was due to the fact that other tournaments that were usually held earlier, weren't held this year and teams wanted to get the playing time in.

When asked how this year's tournament went, Clausen said, "The weekend went really well. It was very smooth. The gym managers did an awesome job and it made my job real easy on my end."

 

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