Two students from Riverlawn Elementary School had a busy weekend recently, competing in the Elks Hoop Shoot contest in Waynesboro. One of those students has earned the right to advance to the regional level and hopefully compete for a national championship in Chicago later this year.
The Elks Hoop Shoot program has been in existence for nearly 50 years. Each year, six Hoop Shoot National Champions (two from each age group) have their names listed alongside their picture in a brand-new digital exhibit in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. Two Frank Hise National Champions are also in attendance when the Hall of Fame inductees are honored at the Enshrinement Ceremony.
Brayden Grubb and Victoria Gonzalez, both students are Riverlawn Elementary School, took on the Hoop Shoot challenge and made it to the state level of competition.
To reach that level, they first had to win their local school competition. After that, they competed at the county level, then in a district level event. Six district level winners, one from each age group advance to the state level of competition. At the state event, they compete against the district winners from across the state.
Both students were school, county, and district champions, which allowed them to advance to the state level.
In the contest, each student shoots a set of 10 shots, followed by a set of 15 shots.
Brayden Grubb, fifth-grade son of Jason Grubb and Megan Kemp, took first place to earn the State Championship in that grade level. With that win, he will now advance to the regional competition in Charlottesville March 11. He will be competing against other state winners from North Carolina, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, and Washington, DC.
This is the third win for Grubb, but the first State Championship winner for Riverlawn Elementary School in the event.
Victoria Gonzalez is the fifth-grade daughter of Erika and Mike Gonzalez. She finished third overall at the state competition.