VIDEO: North Beach students stack their way to victory

North Beach Elementary first and second graders swept the medal rounds at March 13 Northwest Regional Sport Stacking Championships in Auburn.

The competition brought in stackers of all ages from Washington, Oregon, California and British Columbia.

This is the first year Ballard's North Beach Elementary has competed in the 5-year-old event in Auburn.

Thirteen students from North Beach traveled with their coach, P.E. teacher Rett Harmann, to the Auburn High School gym to participate in the one-day contest.

Sport Stacking involves stacking special plastic cups in specific sequences (pyramids of three, six or 10 cups) in as little time as possible.

Four North Beach students placed in the top five after the preliminary rounds, qualifying them for the individual finals in the age 7 and under division.

In the finals, second-grader Maronne Suzuki took first place in each of the three individual events.

In a press release, Hartmann said he was proud of his first stacking team.

“The composure of the kids was the most impressive aspect of the tournament to me, even more than their cup stacking skills,“ he said in the press release.

North Beach Results:

3-3-3 Finals – Age 7 & under
First place - Maronne Suzuki
Fourth place - Luke Sellers

3-6-3 Finals– Age 7 & under
First place - Maronne Suzuki
Second place - Charlie Cole
Third place - Luke Sellers
Fifth place - Melina Nilson

Cycle Finals– Age 7 & under
First place -Maronne Suzuki
Second place-Charlie Cole
Third place-Melina Nilson

Video shows Melina Nilson in the cycle preliminaries. Click here for a video of Maronne Suzuki in the 3-3-3 finals. Videos by Marla Smith-Nilson.