Two Castle Rock locals will be competing in the Denver Nuggets Skills Challenge state competition on Saturday, March 17, at the Pepsi Center in Denver.
Josh Buxvoort, age 13, and
Thomas Rowland, age 11, both won their age divisions at the Metro-South sectional competition held at the Buck Recreation Center in Littleton on Feb. 11. They will be among 80 kids from all areas of Colorado competing for the championship in their age and gender division before the Nuggets vs. Suns basketball game.
The Nuggets Skills Challenge is a statewide basketball skills competition, testing kids ages 7-14 in dribbling, passing and shooting. Participants earn points in each event, with the winners having the highest total score. Josh and Thomas won both a local and a sectional competition to make it to the state event. Nine other Castle Rock youths advanced to the sectional competition, where six of them placed in the top three in their age divisions:
- Alec Duffy, 3
rd place 7/8 years, boy
- Katrina King, 2
nd place 7/8 years, girl
- Kris Buxvoort, 3
rd place 9/10 years, boy
- Madison Andres, 2
nd place 9/10 years, girl
- Thomas Rowland, 1
st place 11/12 years, boy
- Josh Buxvoort, 1
st place 13/14 years, boy
"This is a first for some recreational-level basketball kids from Castle Rock to go so far in a competition like this since I've been around, " said
Scott Smeeton, athletic supervisor for the Town of Castle Rock Parks and Recreation. "We wish them the best of luck."