WICU12

With Gannon University set to compete in the NCAA tournament, they're not the only local team ready to hit the national stage. CLICK FOR VIDEO

"I'm pretty excited. There's a lot of things that have to be done, so I'm focused on the training right now, than I am on excitement," Edinboro University Wheelchair Basketball Team Player Trevon Jenifer says.

Four players on the team, including Jenifer, have been selected to try out for the Under 23 Junior National Team.

"[It's] a lot of conditioning, right now. I'm working on a lot of pushing and a lot of shooting. We have to make lay-ups, fast breaks. Some of these guys coming in are pretty fast, so you have to have the endurance to stay up on some of the other players," Jenifer says.

With try-outs set for just one week away, competing for a spot on the team means a lot of practice: 2 to 3 hours a day, 5 days a week.

"One of the biggest things I've seen so far is the athleticism. A lot of the guys that are going to go are really athletic," Player Tommy Gray says.

Not only is Edinboro sending the most players from any team to national tryouts, but their coach, Jim Glatch, has been selected to coach the team.

"Now that our season is over at Edinboro, it's total excitement. I've spent a lot of time on the phone with other national team coaches, picking their brain, asking them different things about the try-out camp," Glatch says.

By helping to bring the sport of wheelchair basketball into the national spotlight, the athletes hope to clear up some misconceptions.

"A lot of people think it's going to be really slow or [they ask], 'do you shoot on a 10 foot goal? Or is the free throw line shorter?' Everything is the same: it's just as fast, just as intense, just as competitive," Gray says.

But is there any chance the coach will play favorites in choosing the national team?

"There are no guarantees that the four guys from Edinboro will make it, but I'm pretty confident one or two will have a pretty good chance," Glatch says.

Lisa Weismann