St. Olaf students receive visit from Utah Jazz player

Friday, Mar. 06, 2015

BOUNTIFUL — With cheers and shouts of excitement, the students of Saint Olaf School welcomed Jazz power forward Trevor Booker to the school as their reward for exceeding their reading goal by 15,000 minutes in the annual Jazz Reading Contest.

This year the students read 198,284 minutes.

In his comments, Booker stressed how important reading is to everyone, and complimented the students on their reading achievement. With assistance from second-grader Payton Zippi, and third-grader Isaiah Sisneros, Booker read two books to the students, then answered questions, such as how old he was when he started playing basketball, who his favorite players are and the title of his favorite book.

He told the students he started shooting baskets at the age of 3. “I was encouraged to play basketball by my mother, who was an excellent high school basketball player,” he said.

His favorite basketball players are Shaquille O’Neil and Michael Jordan, he said. “My very favorite is Kobe Bryant;” playing against these legendary favorites “is really cool and exciting.”

His favorite book is The Confession by John Grisham, he said.

A graduate of Clemson University in South Carolina, Booker’s first NBA team was the Washington Wizards. Last year, when he became a free agent, he chose to play for the Utah Jazz. 

“I really liked the players, coaches and the direction the team is heading,” he said. “That is why I made the decision to come to the Jazz.”

After the questions, Trevor presented awards to the top readers in the school: 

Pre-K: Aidan Garcia-Allen, Nicholas Deputy and Gabriella Hambly; 

Kindergarten: Rowan Zippi, Tristan Saccani and Cohen Hart; 

First Grade: Miguel Gavarret, Isabella Zarate and Kaleb Whitaker;

Second Grade: Thomas Mudge, Payton Zippi and Caleb Norris;

Third Grade: Julie Rickerd, Isaiah Sisneros and Isabella Vilareal; 

Fourth Grade: Anezka Gomes, Natalie Nuntapreda and Santo Monachino;

Fifth Grade: Fina Doumbia, Lillie Wilson and Ellen Rickerd;

Sixth, Seventh and Eighth grades: Ashley Cluff, Jentrie Gordy and Ryan Koob.

As Booker left the assembly, he encouraged the students to keep reading and to win the contest again next year.