The BORP High Fives wheelchair rugby team finished in 2nd place of Division II at the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) tournament held in Louisville, KY February 14 through 16. The tournament was open to Division I, II, and III teams of the US Wheelchair Rugby Association including non-veteran players. Twenty wheelchair rugby teams from across the country came to compete in the lead up to semi-finals. It was an excellent opportunity for the BORP High Fives to scope out teams in the Eastern Section prior to the National Championship that they do not usually meet in the regular season.
Beginning the tournament ranked number 10 in the nation across all Divisions, they had no trouble beating their opponents in their first four games against the Boise Bombers, Las Vegas High Rollers, Portland Pounders, and Magee Eagles of Philadelphia. They ran into trouble half-way through their game against the Wisconsin-based WASA/CKRI Lightning, became flustered, and were unable to recover. Although BORP does not face-off against WASA often, when they do it is always an intense, nail-biting match as the teams are most often adjacent in the rankings. The WASA style of play, relying on multiple mid-pointers rather than a single dominant high-pointer, proved a tricky matchup for BORP. The BORP team is led offensively by a high-point player, David Garcia, and is more familiar competing against other teams with that same makeup. They are hoping to qualify at the semi-final tournament for a re-match at the National Championship!
Photo credit: Paralyzed Veterans of America
