The Jefferson Elks Lodge #2306 have announced the qualifiers to the state Hoop Shoot Contest.

The Jefferson Elks hosted the Northwest District competition this past Saturday, January 11th that featured the 8-13 boys and girls first and second place youth that advanced from the local Hoop Shoot Contest and competed against the other youth from the northwest district Elks Lodges.

Joyce Fister with the Jefferson Elks, tells Raccoon Valley Radio three of the winners were from Greene County. Representing the Paton-Churdan School District at the State Hoop Shoot Contest is Keegan Minnihan, who won the boys 10-11 year old division. As for the Greene County School District, two competitors qualified for state, and those included the 10-11 year old girls division with Samantha Pedersen, and her sister Delaney Pedersen, who was the 12-13 year old girls champion. 

Fister notes that other winners from the district contest were from Perry and those included Veda Iben, the 8-9 year old girls winner; the 8-9 year old boys champion was Will Adair and Pierce Menke was the winner of the 12-13 year old boys division.

The Hoop Shoot Contest is a national Elks program where youth that make the most free throws out of 25 attempts have a chance to be a national champion and scholarship money for post secondary education. Fister adds the state contest will take place on February 7th and 8th in Ottumwa.