JACKSON, Wyo. — Four Jackson athletes are moving on to state competition in the Elks Lodge annual State Hoop Shoot competition next month.
On January 4, Wyoming Elks Southwest District—made up of the Jackson, Lander, and Riverton Elks lodges—held its annual Hoop Shoot district competition. It’s here where the top six finishers (3 boys and 3 girls) move on to compete at the state level in Casper on February 8.
Jackson Elks Lodge No. 1713 sent Austin Day (age 8-9 boys), Derringer Holding (age 10-11 boys), Sam Revill (age 12-13 boys), and Hayden Ackley (age 10-11 girls) to Riverton for the district competition. All four qualified to move on. Day, Holding, and Ackley placed first in their respective divisions, earning them a spot at the State Hoop Shoot® competition in Casper. Revill placed second in his division, making him an alternate to attend the State Finals should the first-place athlete not attend.
“Everyone at our Lodge has their fingers crossed for these kids as they move onto the state competition,” said Pete Kendzior, Jackson Elks Lodge Exalted Ruler. “We hope to be able to send them next to Colorado Springs for Regional Finals, then onto Chicago.”
The athletes first competed at the local level at the Jackson Elks Lodge Hoop Shoot on December 7, 2019 where they each won their age group. Competitors shot a series of 25 free throws at a standard basketball hoop under a strict set of rules to ensure a fair competition for all. These same rules are applied at each step of the competition from local, to district, to state, to regional, then finally the national competition.
“It’s an incredible honor to send these kids to state,” says Jackson Elks Lodge Hoop Shoot Director Jessica Schiers. “I’m also encouraged to hear the competitors at every level saying they are going to practice and come back stronger next time. That’s what this competition is all about- perseverance and hard work.”
Through the Hoop Shoot program, the Elks have been developing and reinforcing grit in our nation’s youth for more than 47 years—long before researchers and experts concluded that grit and competition is so important in a child’s development.
The 2020 Hoop Shoot National Finals will take place on April 18, 2020 in Chicago. Winners of the Elks National Hoop Shoot finals will have their names permanently inscribed in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
