Bells ring through the halls, a flood of students rush to the gymnasium, different themes of costumes left and right, and “My House” by Flo Rida, echos as students approach the gym. Basketballs shoot into hoops from 4 different sides, MC Carolina O’Byrne shouts into her mic, “Let the Storm Stomp competitions begin!”

On Friday, Oct. 28, Sion’s long-standing fundraiser returned after being on hiatus due to COVID-19. The Storm Stomp fundraiser, a student-led basketball tournament, raises money for Sion’s scholarship funds.

 Storm Stomp committee members started meeting once a month over the summer, then every other week in the morning before school in September and October. The committee was made up of 2 co-chairs and 12 members.

“My favorite part about planning it was getting to see all of the new ideas that came from the committee,” senior Mo Browne said. “I participated in storm stomp once as a middle schooler, and it was amazing to be a part of the team that brought it to life and made it happen.”

There were over 30 teams who played on Friday, made up of students, alums, and faculty. Together these teams raised $16,500 for Sion’s scholarships and financial aid

“I’ve done it for about 5, probably more than that years,” math teacher Kristi Hilgenfeld said.  “It’s a good way to bond with your faculty, with your students, and it’s awesome.”

There were two divisions in Storm Stomp, 3v3 and ‘Gaming Hoops’, also known as knockout. Each bracket had three rounds, and a tiebreaker round was added in cases of a tie.  

Wonka’s Ballers and Disco Divas played each other in the Gaming Hoops championship. Wonka’s Ballers dominated the Divas, winning all 3 rounds before game time was up. The team was made up of juniors, Sophie Saxton, Megan Burdge, and sophomore Kaylin Bendon.

“I was surprised that we won because none of us play basketball,” Saxton said. “It was really fun being able to play a different sport for a good cause.”

The 3v3 bracket was played on a small portion of the actual court and games lasted for 5 minutes. If a team had more than three players, team members would take turns switching in and out, high-fiving one another to communicate with the referee that they were swapping.

The championship round of this bracket was played against the Fairy Godmothers and the Sion Superheroes. This was a tight game but the Sion Superheroes managed to pull out a win with a 4-2 final score. 

“It honestly felt so good to win with 2 really good friends,” sophomore and Sion Superhero player Terryn Ford said. “I would do it again, it was so much fun and a great experience.” 

Not only were participants of Storm Stomp competing in games of basketball, but there was also a best-themed costume and best hype video competition. 

The costume contest winner was decided on by a panel of judges, while students’ cheers judged the hype videos. The ‘Founding Ballers’ were declared the winners of both competitions. 

If you missed the videos, or want to rewatch them they are linked below.

Storm Stomp Hype Videos