Eight ISU students found a way to compete on a national level without the need for coaches or staff.

Every year, organizations invite the best intramural sports teams from colleges nationwide to compete. One such organization is American Collegiate Intramural Championships.

This organization puts on a five-on-five basketball tournament every year, and for the third year in a row, an ISU team is making the trek.

The regional tournament will be held in Lacrosse, Wis., on March 7 and 9. These regional finals consist of more than 380 players on 42 teams that will all vie for the championship.

More than 20 universities will be represented, many from colleges and junior colleges around Wisconsin and Minnesota.

“The executive counselor of recreation services takes care of the entry fee,” intramural coordinator Gary Greenlee said.

The competition consists of a variety of pool play, and then seeds are determined to create the tournament. The top two teams then go on to the nationals in Orlando, Fla., and the regional champions receive a travel stipend, as well as lodging, some meals and tickets to Walt Disney World.

Mark Mills, senior in speech communication, is one of the players on this year’s team from Iowa State. This will be Mills’ third year in the competition, and he has enjoyed the competitions in past years.

Mills played basketball in high school, and also his first year at Concordia College in Minnesota before transferring to Iowa State.

Many of his teammates also played at schools in Sioux Falls and Morningside in Sioux City. Mills and other teammates have attempted to walk on to the ISU program. This year, one of their key players, Dave Braet, was the only walk-on accepted to the ISU men’s basketball team.

Mills’ team consists of eight players, and not only competes in national tournaments, but is also extremely involved in the local basketball scene.

Five-on-five intramural tournaments, three-on-three intramural tournaments, as well as Ames leagues are just a few of the ways the team stays in practice. They get a variety of challenges playing not only students and faculty in intramurals, but also older, more experienced players in the Ames leagues.

The team consists of Mills, Bruce Naber, Will Dotson, Andy Malin, Adam Doyle, Aaron Royster, Ryan Bohlen and Dustin Brown. Unfortunately, the team suffered a hard loss this week. Brown, a freshman from Sheldahl, broke his ankle and tore some ligaments.