The 2000-2001 Elks Hoop Shoot competition promises to be the best yet with 35 contestants taking part on Dec. 9.

Local competition for the 29th annual National Free Throw Shooting Contest was held in Ron Wright Memorial Gym at Montezuma-Cortez High School. Three boys and three girls, ages 8-13, won the first round of competition.

Contestant age groups (8-9, 10-11, and 12-13) was determined by their ages as of April 1, 2000. First, second, and third-place trophies were awarded to boys and girls in each of the three categories.

Taking first place in the Girls 8-9 Division was Andi Pickens while Jackie Ware came in second. In the Boys 8-9 Division, it was Jess Mortensen while Clifford Jones placed second. Lalani Yellowhair won the Girls 10-11 Division while Misty Begay and Tawnie Knight placed second and third, respectively. Skyler Schrage took first in the Boys 10-11 Division while Jaron Jacket was second and Reece Stanley third. Latoya Root won the Girls 12-13 Division while Jade Martinez and Ginger Lopez finished second and third. In the Boys 12-13 Division, Jake Archibeque captured first while Michael Schmidlap and Kyle Perkins took second and third.

The event was sponsored locally by Cortez Elks Lodge 1789.

More than 3 million youngsters from throughout the 50 states entered last year’s competition and more are expected to participate this year. Each contestant took 25 shots at the hoop. The boy and girl in each age group with the best scores (made shots) advance through four tiers of competition to qualify for the national finals which will be held April 29-22 in Springfield, Mass.

Local winners will compete against other contestants in the District event at Delta on Jan. 27 against other winners from the seven other Elks Lodges which comprise the Southwestern District. Those winners will advance to the State event in Salida Feb. 24. Regionals is set for Denver March 17. Winners there will advance to Nationals.

Names of the national winners will be inscribed on the Elks National Hoop Shoot plaque on permanent display in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield.

The Elks National Free Throw Contest is the largest and most visible of the many youth activities sponsored by Elks Lodges (The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks) throughout the country. The Elks Hoop Shoot has served to highlight the Elks National commitment to youth.

The Elks National Free Throw Contest was started with as a result of a local activity in Corvallis, Ore., in 1946. Years later out of that local program grew the national program, now in its 29th year. Each of the more then 2,200 lodges were encouraged to establish its own local contest involving boys from ages 8-13.

In the first year of 1971, boys from 19 states participated. Two years later, more than 750,000 boys from 42 states took part. In the following year (1974), girls were added to the competition. And the program has continued to grow ever since. Today, all 50 states and the District of Columbia hold competitions.