Two elementary teams represented Whitefield recently at the K-8 state championship held by the Georgia Chess Association. Following a first place team finish at the MLK Tournament and a second place finish at the Qualifier, the K5 team had a disappointing day, finishing 14th out of a field of 28. The team started out strong with wins on all five boards in round one against Westminster and a solid win against Walker in round two. The third round brought an early match-up with favorite Eastside Elementary. After taking one win and one draw to lose round three, the team garnered a draw in round four and a loss in round five to end up even on the day with two and a half points of five. The K5 team will lose fifth grader Jack Krahel next year, but fourth graders Zoe Justice, Rylie Keeble, Jonathan Rhudy and Peyton Golden (alternate) will return along with second grader Drew Justice.
While the K5 team struggled, the young K3 team performed well, finishing 10th out of a field of 24 teams. After beating Rocky Mount 4-1 in the first round, the team fell to eventual champion Brookwood in round two. Whitefield then faced Nickajack, picking up a match point with wins on boards two through five. The team lost a close match to an experienced Fulton Sunshine team in round four, but finished strong against State Bridge Crossing to end with three points out of five on the day and losses to the first and third place finishers. The K3 team was led by Walker Paxton on board one with two wins, followed by Efetobo Aror on board two with four points on the day. Christian Wiggins, Trey Kantor, and Archer McBride each earned three wins to contribute to the team’s success, while alternate Bryce Bowling rounded out the team. With all of the K3 Whitefield team members being in second grade, the team looks toward next year for an even stronger finish!