They decide they will take the leap

Ed and Kristy Smith were concerned.

Their daughter was seated in a chair, blindfolded, the prop for her boyfriend’s attempt in the Hoopfest Slam Dunk contest Saturday afternoon.

But just as Kristy asked Ed, “Do you think he can jump that high?” Landen Grant knelt on one knee, took off the blindfold and asked Carli Smith to marry him.

Judging by the way Carli jumped into Grant’s arms, Smith should have entered the women’s slam dunk contest.

“I can’t believe it,” Smith said breathlessly, bouncing around and showing the engagement ring on her left hand. “I’m so happy.”

Smith, a former star at Valley Christian and a standout at Seattle Pacific, met Grant at a camp at Whitworth several years ago and a relationship developed as they worked at NBC camps.

“We both play college basketball,” he said. “I was brainstorming, wondering what I can do that involves basketball… . I went to Rick (Steltenpohl, Hoopfest executive director) about a month ago.”

Grant has one more year to play at Montana State-Northern in his hometown of Havre.

“He had asked us if he could ask her,” Ed Smith said, “but we had no idea.”

Few people knew about Grant’s plan until a midday rain shower put the activities at Center Court in Riverfront Park behind schedule. He had to enlist Smith’s teammates and a few friends to make sure she got there.

Then when Grant’s turn came, Smith was surprised at his plan.

“I was kind of worried,” she said. “I knew he could jump … I kind of wondered what was going on, but I trust him. I just came from a game and I was all gross and sweaty.”

Then he popped the question, Smith jumped into his arms and the crowd went wild.”

“I wasn’t embarrassed,” Carli said. “I don’t mind that kind of stuff.”

The Smiths still don’t know how high their future son-in-law can jump, but now they know their daughter can really get off the ground.

Sam Conley won the men’s slam dunk contest and Amber Grazier won the women’s, which somehow seemed mundane after the first Hoopfest proposal.