LIVINGSTON — The state’s best free throw shooters will be competing this weekend for places at the Northwest Central Region 2 Semifinals.
The Elks Hoop Shoot state contest begins at 10 a.m. Saturday at Park High School. Boys and girls, from ages 8 to 13, will compete for the right to be named the Montana state champion. Each contestant will shoot 25 free throws, except for boys and girls in the 8- and 9-year-old division, who will shoot from a line four feet in front of the free throw line.
The Region 2 Semifinals, which are made up of contestants from Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, are scheduled for March 10 in Rapid City, S.D. The national finals are April 21 in Chicago.
Montana has produced seven national champions since the 1978-79 competition. Bailey Finn of Big Timber won the 2013-14 championship, making 23 of 25 free throws at the national finals in the girls’ 8-9 division. Finn is competing in the 12-13 division on Saturday.
The full list of competitors is below.
Girls (8-9 division)
Miya Hamilton, Columbus
Breilla Becker, Stanford
Venice Torres, Glendive
Aubrey Baxter, Thompson Falls
Parker Layng, Boulder
Boys (8-9 division)
Ethan Rivas, Glendive
Cade Kelly, Butte
Brody Stewart, Great Falls
Carson Toivonen, Superior
Will Benne, Bozeman
Girls (10-11 division)
Gabrielle Hannum, Trout Creek
Ela Harber, Havre
Kameryn Ketcham, Big Timber
Sophia Handran, Scobey
Sara Spring, Deer Lodge
Boys (10-11 division)
Ryan Beagle, Libby
Mason Brosseau, Billings
Tyce Smith, Stanford
John Carney, Scobey
Kyler Engellant, Dillon
Girls (12-13 division)
Teryn Gardner, Great Falls
Avery Chouinard, Kalispell
Alexa Reddig, Lustre
MacKenzie Layng, Boulder
Bailey Finn, Big Timber
Boys (12-13 division)
Braxton Wolfe, Scobey
Zachary Fantozzi, Libby
Fischer Brown, Belgrade
Bo Kelley, Virginia City
Brody Jenness, Lewistown
