Aau Passes Over Spokane For ‘98

Location is everything, or in this case, nothing.

Less than two months after its stint as the successful host of the AAU 18-and-under and 16-and-under girls basketball national championships, Spokane was shut out in its bid to host one in 1998.

Tournament sites were awarded Wednesday at the AAU convention in Hawaii.

“The reason, and the one reason alone, is the logistics of getting (to Spokane),” said Ron Adams, who made the pitch for Spokane. “Eastern and Southern people complained about the cost of flying in.”

Adams bid for the 18U and 16U combined tournaments and the 15U tournament, which is being split from the 14U tournament.

In reports about the 1996 tournaments, Spokane received an A, with the only negative a C for logistics of getting to the tournament, according to Adams. The only other A went to Nashville.

Spokane was one of four cities bidding for each tournament. Indianapolis beat out Des Moines, Iowa, and Ogden, Utah, plus Spokane for the 18s and 16s. Des Moines was given the 15s over Oklahoma City and Spokane.

The 14U tournament is going to Lafayette, La., the 12s to Nashville, the 11s to Kenner, La., and the 13s and 10s to Orlando, Fla.

Adams said he was encouraged to bid next year for a 1999 tournament. He also said Spokane would be favorably considered for the national convention, as well as the Junior Olympics. The JOs drew 12,000 athletes to Des Moines last month for a number of events.

Adams, tournament director for the 10-day, 114-team national championships in July, said he was told the economic impact of the combined tournaments was $5 million.

, DataTimes