W.Z. "Doc" Burke Elementary School Crowned Champion of NCAA’s Read to the Final Four Competition
SAN ANTONIO, April 4, 2025 – The NCAA® and the San Antonio Local Organizing Committee (SALOC) proudly announce the conclusion of the Read to the Final Four® program, with W.Z. "Doc" Burke Elementary School crowned the 2025 Reading Champion. This year’s program involved more than 26,000 third-grade students from 306 elementary schools who read more than 27 million minutes in a tournament-style reading competition, culminating in a thrilling championship today at the NCAA Men’s Final Four® Fan Fest presented by Capital One.
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The Final Four schools in Read to the Final Four —Burke Elementary (Northside ISD), Harmony School of Science, Freedom Elementary (Southside ISD), and Royal Ridge Elementary (North East ISD)—were honored for their achievements during a rousing reading rally in Buick Arena at the NCAA Men’s Final Four Fan Fest presented by Capital One.
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Eighty-nine (89) third-graders at Burke Elementary School participated in Read to the Final Four, reading more than 1,827,419 minutes. For winning the competition, Burke Elementary will receive $5,000 toward a makeover of their school library. The entire Burke school community embraced their students’ efforts. “It took a whole community—parents, teachers, and students—rallying together to turn a reading challenge into a movement,” said Burke Elementary librarian Yilsa De Los Santos, who led her school’s winning effort.
“We are so thrilled to honor young San Antonio readers as part of the Read to the Final Four program. This program began as a way to emphasize the NCAA’s education-focused mission and promote literacy among communities that are hosting our championships. Thank you to the San Antonio community for its enthusiasm and congratulations on achieving your reading goals,” said JoAn Scott, NCAA Vice President of Men’s Basketball.
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"Read to the Final Four shows how sports can ignite a love of learning. As Men’s Final Four weekend kicks off, we're proud to celebrate the students, teachers, and schools who made reading a priority. This program is personal for me—my son participated and discovered the excitement of reading in a whole new way,” said Elena Wells, SALOC Executive Director. “The dedication of every participant proves that championship moments happen not only on the court but also in the classroom and at home. Congratulations to our winners and everyone who joined this journey!"
The other finalists also received gift cards from Scholastic for literacy and library programs including Harmony School of Science, $2,500, Freedom Elementary, $1,500 and Royal Ridge Elementary, $1,000.
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In addition to recognizing the top four performing schools at the Read to the Final Four event, the four individual students from each winning school who read the most minutes were also named. Each student will receive an Amazon Kindle Kids tablet with a free one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+. They include:
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Maxx Bravo, Burke Elementary, 69, 864Minutes read
Silas Smith, Harmony School of Science, 21,280 Minutes read
Raelynn Reyes, Freedom Elementary, 33,589 Minutes read
Edwin Rios, Royal Ridge Elementary, 23,471 Minutes read
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For more information, visit www.finalfoursanantonio.com/read.
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About San Antonio Local Organizing Committee:
The San Antonio Local Organizing Committee (SALOC) is a nonprofit dedicated to bidding on and hosting major events that bring out-of-town visitors and drive economic impact to San Antonio. SALOC is a partnership between San Antonio Sports, Visit San Antonio, the City of San Antonio, the University of Texas at San Antonio, and the University of the Incarnate Word. SALOC oversees marketing, operations, and community relations for all ancillary events and initiatives associated with the 2025 NCAA Men’s Final Four. SALOC’s mission is to leverage the excitement of March Madness to foster community engagement, promote educational initiatives, and highlight the vibrant culture of San Antonio.
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About the NCAA
The NCAA is a diverse association of more than 1,100 member colleges and universities that prioritize academics, well-being, and fairness to create greater opportunities for nearly half a million student-athletes each year. The NCAA provides a pathway to higher education and beyond for student-athletes pursuing academic goals and competing in NCAA sports. More than 54,000 student-athletes experience the pinnacle of intercollegiate athletics by competing in NCAA championships each year Visit ncaa.org and ncaa.com for more details about the Association and the corporate partnerships that support the NCAA and its student-athletes. The NCAA is proud to have AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola as official corporate champions and the following elite companies as official corporate partners: Buffalo Wild Wings, Buick, GEICO, Great Clips, Intuit TurboTax, Invesco QQQ, Marriott Bonvoy, Nabisco, Nissan, Pizza Hut, Reese’s, The Home Depot, Unilever, and Wendy’s.
