Local athletes compete at Elks Hoop Shoot

On Jan. 12, the Coshocton Elks Lodge held its annual hoop shoot contest in the Coshocton High School gym. The event brought together young athletes to test their free-throw shooting skills.

The Elks Hoop Shoot is a national free-throw contest for youth. Participants take 25 attempts, competing in age groups, with winners advancing through local, district, state, regional, and national levels.

Competition results for the girls were 8-9 age group – Allie Miller was the champion, with Sawyer Smith as runner-up; 10-11 age group – Cadence Watson was the champion, with Allie Potts as runner-up; and 12-13 age group – Mattie Thomas was the champion, with Aubrey Searls as runner-up. The boys’ results were 8-9 age group – Kameron Kohler was the champion, with Knox Hartsock as runner-up; 10-11 age group – Corbin Smith was the champion, with Beau Laaper as runner-up; and 12-13 age group – Cruz Potts was the champion, with Will Snider as runner-up.

The champions will advance to the district competition on Sunday, Jan. 26, in Marietta. From there, winners will move on to the state competition in Newark, the regional competition in South Bend, IN, and the National Championship in Chicago, IL.

Winners at the national championship will have their names and photos included in a digital exhibit at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Coshocton has a strong history in the Elks Hoop Shoot competition. Colton Conkle was the 2017 National Champion in the boys 8-9 age group, and Cadence Watson was the 2023 national champion in the Girls 8-9 age group.

The Elks Hoop Shoot encourages youth involvement and skill development through sports. Each year, more than a million young athletes take part across the country.

For information about the Elks Hoop Shoot program, visit www.elks.org/hoopshoot.