Six Kids Crowned in Elks Hoop Shoot Finals

CHICAGO, April 26, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The dust has settled over Gentile Arena at Loyola University Chicago, home of the National Finals of the Elks Hoop Shoot free throw tournament. On April 21, 72 of the nation's best young free-throw shooters dueled for national titles in boys and girls divisions in three age-groups.

After nine tie-breaking shoot-offs and a total of 1,601 made free throws, six champions were crowned:

8- to 9-year-olds
Anthony Thompson of Ohio (24 out of 25, 30 out of 30 in a shoot-off) and Ava Kouri of Ohio (23 out of 25)

10- to 11-year-olds
Camden Cowgill of Texas (23 out of 25, 5 out of 5 in a shoot-off) and Kameryn Ketcham of Montana (23 out of 25)

12- to 13-year-olds
Luke Sides of South Carolina (24 out of 25, 10 out of 10 in a shoot-off) and Bailey Finn of Montana (24 out of 25)

All six champions will have their names inscribed in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., and will visit the Hall as guests of the Elks. More than 300,000 8- to 13-year olds started down the Road to Chicago last fall

During the Hoop Shoot weekend, the Finalists and their families toured Chicago by trolley, attended a special event at the Adler Planetarium, and engaged in community service, creating no-sew fleece blankets that will be distributed to V.A. hospitals in Chicago. The Elks have pledged to help the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs eliminate veteran homelessness.

Funded by the Elks National Foundation, the Hoop Shoot has been developing gritty kids for 46 years. The keynote speaker at this year's Awards Banquet was WNBA All-Star Tamika Catchings. Notable alumni from the Hoop Shoot program include college coaches Chris Mullin and Steve Alford, and WNBA players Kristi Toliver and Seimone Augustus.

The Elks organization is headquartered in Chicago, which will be hosting the Hoop Shoot National Finals again next year.

The complete results from this year's Hoop Shoot are available at elks.org/hoopshoot. Next year's tournament tips off in the fall in local communities everywhere.

Contact: Christine Robinson | Communications, Elks National Foundation
2750 N. Lakeview Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614-2256
773/755-4856 | [email protected]

SOURCE Elks National Foundation