In the midst of a pandemic, most people would not see the cancellation of a basketball tournament as that big of a deal, but the KIT’s are much more than that.
For years the KIT’s, or the Kingswood Oxford Invitational Tournament, have been a worthy and exciting conclusion to the incredibly stressful first half of a school year. Everyone looks forward to it, whether it be the teachers getting to watch some of their students do what they’re best at, the players themselves releasing all of that frustration from midterms out on the basketball court, or just other students getting to chirp at players on the other team. All in all, the KIT’s are a tradition that the entire Kingswood Oxford community looks forward to, and its cancellation is yet another victim to this terrible virus.
Recently, the boys varsity team has had a lot of success in the tournament. This past year, the boys team won the final, had a then-junior player named to the All-Tournament Team, and named recently graduated senior Jackson Wolff ’20 MVP of the tournament. In 2019, the boys team fell to an incredibly tough Lawrenceville Academy team out for revenge from the year before where KO won a nailbiter to secure the championship.
To make matters worse, this year the boys basketball team looked stronger than ever. Four out of five starters were returning after having the offseason to develop. Three of them are headed off to play DIII basketball in college, with two senior captains heading to Hobart and William Smith as well as currently undecided senior point guard Ben Merritt. The fourth returning starter, sophomore Gavin Griffiths, might be the most talented player in KO history after picking up offers from Syracuse University, Siena College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst this summer. The Wyverns also added 6’9’ freshman Jack Nieradko who was primed for a big season.
“It’s really sad because everyone misses out on the most exciting winter sports event,” senior Captain Carter Meshanic said. “I feel like we had a really good chance to go back to back, which is something that KO hasn’t done in awhile.”
The players themselves weren’t the only ones heartbroken by the news, despite it not coming as a surprise. Senior Chris Sienko recalled attending the KIT’s the past three years. “The environment is always so electric, and it is always something to look forward to while pushing through the midterms,” Sienko said. Senior Ava Radmanovich was one of the team’s most consistent fans in recent years, coming to almost all of the home games. “The KIT’s are a great event that really showcases the school’s spirit,” Radmanovich said. “This year I’m very disappointed that we won’t be able to cheer on our teams and have fun with our classmates supporting our fellow students.”
The entire school thoroughly enjoys the KIT’s, and this year losing them is just another painful reminder of how scary this virus truly is. Hopefully, by this time next year, the world will be back to where it used to be and the basketball teams will be able to return to the court in a safe manner.
