CHICO, Calif. -- Congratulations are going out to a handful of local athletes whose weeks of dedication and hard training have paid off.

Action News Now Anchor Julia Yarbough caught up with the young women of the Chico Tarheels who recently earned a coveted national award!

It has been said that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, except in the case of the young athletes who have skills on the basketball court that could almost rival the pros.

For weeks, during daily 7AM workouts, they sharpened their skills in order to sink shot after shot. And the work paid off, because the Tarheels shined during the Las Vegas American Amateur Union Championship the weekend of July 20-21st, 2018.

Player Maddux Wilson calls the tournament the biggest of the players’ lives and says they are all happy and excited.
The 11 and 12-year old players beat out the Denver Gators with a 38 to 33 win, to nab the top honors.

Head Coach Marlon Gambol says the win effectively means the team is one of the best in Northern California. During the tournament, 500 teams from around the country competed, with over 30 competing in the same bracket as the Tarheels.

Player Nyah Fortune says she and her teammates simply love the game. She says during the tournament, she managed to make the most of her shooting skills which helped lead the team to victory.

Coach Gambol says the young athletes take a great deal of pride in their craft and they work hard individually as well as a team. He says that teamwork all came together at the right time to help the Tarheels pull off their win.

Player Wilson says she and teammates simply showed the other teams that the Tarheels were better and that the win ‘feels really good.’

The Tarheel players hail from Bidwell Jr. and Marsh Jr. High Schools and Country Day School. Coach Gambol says ‘watch out,’ because these athletes will be playing for local High Schools soon.