3-on-3 basketball returns to Martin County Fair
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FAIRMONT - The Martin County Fair's 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament returned to action this summer. Brought to the area by coordinators Jared Pomerenke and Angie Toothaker, this event has been held for over two decades, providing fun, competitive basketball for boys and girls in Martin County and beyond.
"It's just for fun," Pomerenke said. "Hopefully, you can come out, play a little bit of basketball and then obviously, you can take in the other attractions at the fair."
The tournament is set for individuals between fourth and eighth grade. Brackets are constructed based on the number of teams and variety of ages set to participate. Some crossover between age and gender is needed. Each team plays a round-robin format before winners are ultimately decided. Awards are typically handed out to first-, second-, and third-place finishers.
Participation for this year saw 15 teams - nine boys and six girls. However, teams weren't just from Martin County. Representation from North Union and United South Central was present in the festivities. This is something Pomerenke typically sees through the event. People beyond the area wanting to play.
"It's open to any area, boys and girls from different towns as well. It doesn't have to be just Fairmont or Martin County, for that matter," Pomerenke said. "I think we've had teams organized from Blue Earth and northern Iowa, for example."
The location is marked on the south side of Martin County Arena's parking lot, with four basketball hoops separated by white lines that symbolize out of bounds. Each court is cut in half to utilize the space, leaving room for a handful of bleachers where individuals can sit and enjoy the competition. Registration is at 4:30 p.m., with the first official games starting 30 minutes later.
"It's well attended," Pomerenke said. "Lots of parents and grandparents will come. We've got a couple of sets of small bleachers where they can sit and watch."