SPOKANE — Four Port Angeles athletes captured second place in the 40- to 50-years-old age group at the world-famous Spokane Hoopfest last weekend.
The Hoopfest, billed as the world’s largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament, drew 6,500 teams and 100,000 spectators at the 20th annual 2009 event.
“It is really amazing how well organized this event is,” Jack Heckman of Port Angeles said.
“It was a well-behaved group of people.”
Heckman competed in Spokane with his brother, Craig Heckman, and Jim Haguewood and Joe Gladfelter.
All basketball is played outside on 450 courts right next to each other in downtown Spokane.
It was hot during the two days, averaging about 82 degrees, but that didn’t seem to slow the area team down until the final two games.
“It’s a pretty incredible tournament,” Jack Heckman said.
The Port Angeles foursome went 4-2, going 4-0 by sweeping all three games on the first day, Saturday, and winning Sunday’s first game.
The area team then lost to a team that it had beaten on the first day, and then lost in a rematch for the championship.
“That team had played six games in the consolation bracket before coming back to play us Sunday,” Jack Heckman said, clearly impressed.
The Port Angeles players, ranging in age from 42 to 50, are all athletic and keep active in various sports, Jack said.
Jack Heckman, who hasn’t played basketball since last year at this time, plays golf, mountain bikes and lifts weights. He has stayed off the basketball court for a year because he hyper-extended a knee at the 2008 Hoopfest.
“I haven’t played since last year’s tournament,” Jack said.
That didn’t seem to hurt the team last weekend.
“We played really well and we have played basketball together a lot over the years,” Jack said.
Haguewood and Jack Heckman, classmates who graduated from Port Angeles High School in 1977, played together on the Roughrider football and basketball teams.
The 2009 Hoopfest organizers pulled out all the stops for this year’s festivities as former NBA superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was featured at the two-day event.
Abdul-Jabbar did not compete in the elite bracket but he was there as the ambassador for basketball, Jack said.
