A three-time state qualifier in the Elks Hoop Shoot Contest from Paton-Churdan will be attempting to make it to the next round tomorrow.

Eleven-year-old Keegan Minnihan has been crowned the district champion since he was of age to start competing in the Elks Hoop Shoot Contest when he was eight. This competition has four age and gender divisions and the winners for each are determined by who makes the most free throws out of 25 attempts. Minnihan tells Raccoon Valley Radio that at the district contest, he made 19 of 25 attempts to advance to state in the 10 and 11 year old boys division.

Minnihan talks about the environment that the kids are in, which is a completely silent gymnasium, where the only sound is the basketball bouncing on the floor before each free throw is taken.

“Pretty nerve-racking and scary. And what goes through my mind is I just try and keep my mind positive. So then, like if I miss, I forget about that and I worry about my next shot.”   

Minnihan will be joined by two Greene County School District representatives who also won their respective age and gender divisions at the district contest. Those individuals include the 10-11 year old girls district winner Samantha Pedersen and 12-13 year old girls district champion Delaney Pedersen. The local Jefferson Elks Lodge #2306 IS sponsoring part of the travel and hotel expenses, and the state organization for paying the other half. Tomorrow’s contest begins at 10am, and the winners will move onto regionals.