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Local qualifiers advance in Junior NBA Challenge
2020 Optimist
The local 28 local entrants and volunteers were part of the 2020 Optimist Club of Great Bend Junior NBA Skills Challenge.

Great Bend will send 10 qualifiers to regionals from the 2020 Optimist Club of Great Bend Junior NBA Skills Challenge sponsored by Under Armour event held Jan. 19 at the Great Bend Fieldhouse.

The youngsters competed in a one-minute dribbling and shooting skills contest. Competitors dribble through cones and take shots worth 1, 3, 4 and 6 points. Deductions of 3 points are assessed for traveling, palming or double dribble.  

Qualifiers advance to Midwest regional April 26 at the Harris Park City Center, Kansas City, Mo. Four regional qualifiers earn an all−expense paid trip to New York City, receive gift bags, attend special events and interact with NBA/WNBA/G−League players and potential draftees. 

Great Bend’s Parker Dicks won the 2019 Junior NBA national competition at Brooklyn N.Y. Taeten Reynolds also qualified at the Denver, Colo. regional championships. Shane Dicks coordinated the local contest.






2020 Optimist Club
Place-winners in the recent 2020 Optimist Club of Great Bend Junior NBA Skills Challenge are front row—Jaden Prilling, first, 11 under boys; Jordan Kitch, second, 11 under boys; Briana Croisant, first, 13 under girls; back row— Lauren Sleder, third, 11 under girls; Jadyn Crosby, first, 11 under girls; Gabriel Edmund, third, 11 under boys; Saraiyah Edmund, second, 11 under girls; Anthony Gonzalez, first, 13 under boys; Carter Crosby, second, 13 under boys. Missing the photo was Jacob Hall