Maryland Made Hosts Annual Dodgeball Tournament

Maryland Made worked with Maryland’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Under Armour to continue a spring tradition with its annual dodgeball tournament. 

“I feel like the dodgeball tournament has gotten better each year I’ve been here and been a part of the SAAC board,” cross country’s AnnaMarie Tretola said. “We’ve made so much progress getting more student-athletes involved, and it’s so fun getting people together to play a game, meet new people, and win a prize. It's always a great wrap up as we get towards the end of the semester and the end of SAAC.”
 

This year’s annual tournament brought together nearly 100 student-athletes for one final celebration of the year, led by the (SAAC) as its culminating event of the semester.

“I think that the dodgeball tournament was a great way to wrap up the year,” track and field star Andrew Harmon said. “Not only did it give everyone a chance to unwind and have a fun time leading into finals, but it really got the student-athlete body as a whole together engaging with one another, which was one SAAC’s goals since Day 1 of this year. 

“As for the organizational aspect of the event, this was the first time I took a role in an event this big and had a blast in doing it. The SAAC team representatives that helped out really made sure the event ran smoothly. It was really cool to see everyone come and work together.”

The tournament highlighted the energy, community and leadership of our student-athletes, with 10 teams captained by student-athletes representing 10 different countries. 

By organizing teams around international representation, the event created an exciting opportunity for student-athletes from many different programs and backgrounds to connect, compete, and celebrate the diversity within Maryland’s athletics community.

“It was amazing to represent my home country because I could be my Canadian self, cheering loud and polite, while having fun playing with my fellow student-athletes,” track and field’s Jennessa Wolfe said. “Winning the tournament made it even more special because my team helped represent Canada with pride and were rewarded for our ability to work well together.”

This year’s tournament featured a new partnership component with Under Armour, adding another layer of excitement to the event. Select student-athletes received a free Under Armour t-shirt, while members of the championship team were awarded $100 Under Armour gift cards, building anticipation and reward participation, making the tournament even more memorable than before.

“The 2025-26 dodgeball event was a complete success,” lacrosse’s AJ Larkin said. “Being able to see all the student-athletes come out, not only engaging with one another, but having a great time meant the world to our SAAC E-Board.

“After a great year for SAAC, finishing up with the dodgeball event was a cherry on top. We can’t thank Under Armour enough for not only its partnership with our school and athletic programs, but being able to help out with this as well and being so dedicated to the growth of our student-athletes.”

More than just a competition, the dodgeball tournament served as a celebration of student-athlete connection, cultural pride and the strong sense of community fostered throughout the year within Maryland Made and Maryland Athletics.