At this holiday tournament, you can't go wrong by picking Mercy to win. Again and again and again.
That's because at 2009 Mercy Madness starting Monday, there are only Mercy schools. Six, to be exact.
Omaha Mercy is hosting the third version of the tournament, which was first held in 2005 in San Francisco and then again in 2007 in Cincinnati.
Teams are arriving Sunday from Mercy High School in San Francisco, Mercy High School in Burlingame, Calif., Mother of Mercy in Cincinnati, Mercy High School in Baltimore and McGann-Mercy High School from Riverhead, N.Y. Three days of competition start Monday, with games scheduled each day at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
“We're all really excited,'' said Omaha Mercy post player Janice Riesberg. “It should be a lot of fun.''
The Omaha team will play each day at 3 p.m., with games scheduled against the New York team on Monday, the Burlingame team on Tuesday and the Baltimore team on Wednesday.
Teams have been matched up by skill level. Each will play three games, but the competition is just half the fun.
The event starts Sunday night with a welcome mass and dinner. A Mercy Jeopardy game is planned afterward as an ice breaker, and teams will exchange socks that have been individually decorated or have a school logo.
Lunches are scheduled after each game to give the athletes a chance to mingle. An awards farewell dinner is planned for Wednesday night.
Each visiting team will have a host, who is helping them schedule activities such as visiting the zoo or attending a Creighton game.
“We've got really good parent support,'' Omaha Mercy Athletic Director Holly McCoy said. “Our kids are really excited about meeting kids from other Mercy schools. The whole concept is that Mercy is worldwide, and they are experiencing that with other Mercy kids from across the United States.''
McCoy said snow and the cold weather likely will be an eye-opener for the players from California.
Riesberg, who played at the Mercy tournament in Cincinnati, said the players all have plenty in common. They play basketball. They attend a Mercy school. So there's plenty to talk about.
“It's fun to see how the different schools work,'' she said. “How it's different and how it's the same.''
Contact the writer:
444-1034, marjie.ducey@owh.com
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