SAINT PETER, Minn. – Men’s basketball rising sophomores Nolan Malo (Owatonna, Minn.) and Marten Morem (Caledonia, Minn.) traveled to Spain recently and competed in four games as well as doing some sightseeing within the European country.
The duo were invited by Beyond Sports, a company that helps bring high school and college student-athletes all over the globe while still competing in their respective sport. Beyond Sports is available for both teams and individuals and the Gustavus duo paired up with a handful of other college athletes from around the country as well as a few from outside the United States.
The tandem spent three days in Barcelona, four days in Valencia, and then two in Madrid, playing four games in the process. The team Malo and Morem played on, which was made up of mainly Division III athletes to go along with one player from Canada and another from the University of the Virgin Islands, took on different club teams from each city they visited and were able to talk and meet the players after the game. During their time they were also able to help put on a basketball camp for local kids.
About the experience Malo said, “I’ve always wanted to study abroad but with basketball going first semester, J-term, and second semester I wasn’t able to take time to do it so it made the decision pretty easy. All around it was just a great experience. It felt like a vacation as I was able to submerge in their culture and just in general experiencing Spain was cool but being able to pay and meet those guys we played with and against was a cherry on top.”
Morem stated, “The trip was great because we were constantly site seeing, but we still had plenty of freedom to experience a different yet beautiful culture on our own. I really enjoyed how the whole trip was laid out as we stayed in areas that brought something new to the table in each city, whether it was the beach access of Barcelona, the modernization of Valencia, or the night life of Madrid. Through these experiences I was lucky enough to make some great friends and great connections that will last a lifetime. Overall the basketball was great competition as the games had high intensity and was a great place to showcase our talent. I looked at this Spain trip as a way to go abroad while not missing any basketball during the season.”