CHICAGO — The Willis (formerly Sears) Tower may be the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, but no one stood taller in Chicago on April 16 than Samantha Griebel of Punxsutawney.

Eight-year old Samantha won the 8-9 year-old girls division at the Elks National Hoop Shoot hosted in the Windy City.

Samantha had to prove she deserved the title.

After she went 5/5 on her warm-ups, she tied another contestant, 9-year old, Justice Midyett of Paducah, Ky., with a score of 23/25 (shooting 92 percent). Both contestants then entered into a quadruple shoot-out until Samantha finally won.

Griebel went 5/5, 4/5, 5/5, and 5/5 (final shoot-out 19/20, 95 percent). She finished with an overall final score of 42/45. Her first place victory not only makes her the best 8-9 year old shooter in the country, but also places her name permanently at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.