6th-Grade Basketball Team Makes Strong Playoff Run

Each Monday, North Reading Patch will recognize a . This week's honoree is the sixth-grade girls' travel basketball team, which finished second despite entering the playoffs as the 12th seed in the tournament. The girls took eventual champion Tyngsborough to overtime in the finals.

Name: North Reading sixth-grade girls basketball team.

Accomplishment: Won their bracket and finished second overall in the postseason tournament.

Key to success: Despite being the 12th seed, the girls won their bracket by beating all the higher-seeded teams they faced, including Methuen, Chelmsford and Merrimack. 

The girls faced the other bracket winner and regular-season champ, Tyngsborough, in the finals. The two teams were tied after regulation in a hard-fought game. However, after an exciting overtime period, the North Reading team lost by one point.  

The team includes Kat Hassapis, Haley Nathan, Emily Brooks, Rachel O’Boyle, Kristina Copelas, Lindsay Carroll, Bella McDonald, Gabby Lanzaro, Nicole Sullivan and Cailin Walsh. The girls were coached by Dan Carroll and Gerard Walsh.

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Know of a child or youth group that you think deserves recognition for doing good in the community? E-mail editor Matt Bashalany at matthew.bashalany@patch.com and we may feature your nominee in an upcoming Whiz Kids column.