FROM STAFF REPORTS

HOOVER — A Greystone Elementary School student has qualified for the National Punt, Pass and Kick finals, to be held at the National Football League’s AFC Championship Game in January.

Nick Dunlap, a third-grader, began his journey by winning the local competition at Greystone Elementary in September. He competed against 70 other boys in his 8-to-9-year-old age group, according to a press release.

From there, he went to Chattanooga, Tenn. to compete in the sectional competition, where he again won by a large margin. He then competed at the team championships in Nashville, Tenn. on Dec. 2, winning there, according to the press release.

The Dunlap family then had to wait a few weeks to find out if he would qualify for the national finals. Only the top four nationally would move on. The Dunlaps found out Dec. 16 that Nick was in the top four and had cemented his place in the finals, the press release stated.

“I’m really not surprised that Nick has made it this far. He is a great athlete and excels at any sport that he tries,” said Rand Payton, physical education teacher at Greystone Elementary. “What has impressed me most about the whole competition process is how Nick has been so consistent at every level of competition and how he has handled the pressure at all the events.”