Three boys and one girl, ages 8-13, won the local Lodge round of competition in the 37th Annual Elks Hoop Shoot, the free throw shooting contest held Nov. 22 at the Weston School in Manville.
The following champions represented the Manville-Hillsborough Elks Lodge at the West Central District competition on Saturday, Dec. 20 at The Christ the King School gymnasium in Manville. Briana Roche advanced to the state finals, which will be held at Woodbridge High School on Sunday Feb. 10, 2009.
Roche advanced to the state finals, while Ramon Quinonez (Boys 8-9), Michael Zangara (Boys 10-11) and Jair Maillard (Boys 12-13) also competed.
The Elks Hoop Shoot began as a local program by the Corvallis, Ore. Elks in 1946 and is in its 37th year of national competition. By the time the national champions are crowned at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. early in April of 2009, over three million boys and girls will have participated.

