By JEFF BRULL
HFE School

Four Holy Family Elementary fifth graders competed in the Kansas State Chess Association (KSCA) Grade Level State Championship Saturday at Wichita’s Brooks Center for STEM and the Arts. Unlike other tournaments the team has competed in, the grade level championships have no team component. As a result, the Holy Family players often had to face off against one another throughout the day’s six rounds of play.

In the end, medals were given to the top ten players in each grade. All four HFE fifth graders earned a medal with Tate Dinkel in 9th with 3 wins, Braydon Binder in 8th with three wins, Noah Bruggeman in 7th with three wins, and Jensen Brull finishing the day as runner-up notching 4.5 victories. Brull had a draw in round 4, and his only loss was at the hands of teammate, Noah Bruggeman, earlier in the day.

Competition was almost entirely representative of Wichita and Kansas City area schools. Students competing in the grade level championships typically have higher than average KSCA ratings, and the HFE players saw some of the most talented fifth grade chess players in the state. Placing four in the top ten is certainly an accomplishment, and we are very proud of the positive impression these boys are making for our community and for Holy Family Elementary.

The HFE Chess Team will make a return trip to Wichita Saturday to compete in the Wichita North Invitational.  There, they will once again compete for individual and also team honors. They will be joined by the TMP-Marian Chess team which is gearing up to defend their 2015 state championship.