The West Virginia Thunder girls’ fifth grade basketball team recently qualified to compete in the DI AAU Nationals July 9-14 in Gatlinburg, TN. This year’s team was the runners-up in the boys’ division of the Beckley Round Ball Classic, NYAA Winter Nationals champions, GYBC Circuit champions (they competed in Atlanta, Nashville and Gatlinburg), Western Pennsylvania Bruins Tip-Off Classic champions, Lauren Hill Classic champions playing in the sixth grade division, Tennessee Miracle runners-up, GBA Nationals champions and the U.S. Amateur Nationals champions. Team members are: front row left to right, Karson Jones (St. Albans, W.Va.) , Kendall Taylor (Coal Grove), Sophi Hutchison (Chesapeake), Nim Maynard (Huntington, W.Va.) and Siena Allen (Portsmouth); second row left to right, coach Chris Staten, Taegan Leep (Fairland), Addison Godby (Fairland), K.K. Mays (Miamisburg), Lucy Thompson (Cincinnati ), Addyson Cornell ( Fairland), Bailey Russell (Fairland). Coach Bruce Morris was not pictured. (Photo Submitted)