Freshman Grady Gordon’s team, the Jr. Rolling Timberwolves, won first place at the 2016 National Wheelchair Basketball Championship. This season, Gordon’s team finished with a record of 35-1-0, the best in their division. The final tournament took place from April 7-9 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Gordon is part of the National Wheelchair Basketball League (NWBL) at the varsity level, the highest level for his age. He is a point guard for the Jr. Rolling Timberwolves, which is the only wheelchair basketball team in Minnesota. “I’m in the varsity league for my age. We travel around the country to play since there’s only one team in Minnesota,” Gordon said.

The main reason for the team’s gold medal victory was their attitude and cohesiveness. “A reason that we made it so far is the fact that we stay positive when we’re down and stick together as a team,” Gordon said.

The Wolves won the tournament with a score of 53-50 over the Houston Hotwheels. “It was definitely exciting because we’ve been preparing all year and to finally achieve it was very exciting,” Gordon said.