By Patrick Holmes
Lenoir County Public Schools
Two first-year coaches and a team of fifth graders competing in its first LCPS Elementary Battle of the Books brought home the first-place prize for La Grange Elementary School for the first time since 2014.
The La Grange team – Annaliese Miller, Abby Martin, Alisson Rios, Lilly Johnson, Easton Vinson and Kelsie Stroud – dominated much of the round-robin competition to top second-place Moss Hill Elementary 158-143. Northwest Elementary finished third with 123 points; Pink Hill Elementary, with 117 points; and Banks Elementary, with 103 points.
Teams from all nine LCPS elementary schools took part in the April 16 competition, held at Kinston High School under physically distance conditions after last year’s Battle of the Books was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.