Elks Hoop Shoot winners advance to district meet

  • Shown (l-r) are Zaydi Lazaro who placed second in 8 & 9 girls; Julianna Zweig, first for 8 & 9 girls; Journey Mincey, winner for 10 & 11 girls; Jermane Mincey, winner for 12 & 13 girls; Vail McMillan, runner-up in 12 & 13 girls; Harrison Scouten, second for 12 & 13 boys; and Carson Williams, first for 12 & 13 boys; with Lake Oconee Elks Lodge Hoop Shoot Chairman Jamie Grill in the back. No contestants entered for 8 & 9-year-old boys. CONTRIBUTED
    Shown (l-r) are Zaydi Lazaro who placed second in 8 & 9 girls; Julianna Zweig, first for 8 & 9 girls; Journey Mincey, winner for 10 & 11 girls; Jermane Mincey, winner for 12 & 13 girls; Vail McMillan, runner-up in 12 & 13 girls; Harrison Scouten, second for 12 & 13 boys; and Carson Williams, first for 12 & 13 boys; with Lake Oconee Elks Lodge Hoop Shoot Chairman Jamie Grill in the back. No contestants entered for 8 & 9-year-old boys. CONTRIBUTED

    The Lake Oconee Elks Lodge hosted its annual Hoop Shoot on Jan. 14 at Lake Oconee Academy in Greensboro.

    The Hoop Shoot was open to kids aged 8-13 in Greene, Putnam, Morgan, and Hancock counties. All first-place winners will next compete on Feb. 10 at Covington in district action, with winners there advancing to state and finally national competition at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

    The Elks Free Throw Hoop Shoot Contest has been held throughout the United States for the past 50 years.

    It provides any boy or girl between the ages of eight to 13 in an Elks Lodge community the opportunity to participate in a fun, age-appropriate program that helps set them up for future success.

    Kids work hard to go to the next level of district, state, and national Hoop Shoot competitions, where the six national winners will have their names permanently inscribed in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.