PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Presque Isle Elks, Lodge 1954 will host its annual Lodge Championship Hoop Shoot foul shooting contest for area youth ages 8 through 13 on Saturday, Jan. 13, at the Wieden Hall Gymnasium of the University of Maine at Presque Isle.
William Sewall, the Hoop Shoot chairman of the Presque Isle Elks for the past 35 years, said all of the competitors already have won in their age categories and divisions at their local school or recreation program’s Hoop Shoot competition.
The three age categories for contestants are ages 8 and 9; ages 10 and 11; and ages 12 and 13 years, for both boys and girls divisions.
Registration for the young competitors from Ashland, Caribou, Easton, Limestone, Mapleton, Mars Hill, Presque Isle, New Sweden, Washburn and Woodland will begin at 8 a.m. and the contest gets underway at 9 a.m.
Hoop Shoot is a national foul shooting competition for youth sponsored by the Grand Lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. In two separate rounds, contestants each attempt a total of 25 foul shots. The foul shooter in each age category and division who has the greatest number of successful shots is the winner. In the event of a tie, shoot-offs of five additional foul shot attempts by each of the tied competitors are held until a winner emerges.
The winners in each age category and division are then eligible to compete in the district-wide Hoop Shoot to be held the following day, on Sunday, Jan. 14, at the James Doughty School in Bangor. State, New England and national competitions follow for those who advance.
“The Elks Hoop Shoot competition is exciting to watch and admission is free to the public,” Sewall said.
