Contestants and their families are greeted Friday night with a Pizza Party at the hotel.
The Area 1 BPOE Hoop Shoot took place from March 6 to March 8, bringing together an impressive group of shooting talent from across New England. This annual regional competition featured enthusiastic participants representing the six New England states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
Parade of State Teams
Thirty-six shooters participated in the event, each having earned the title of state champion in one of six boys’ and girls’ divisions for entrants aged 8 to 13 years old. The competition was held at the Deering High School gymnasium in Portland, Maine. The presence of athletes from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island underscored the regional importance of the event.
The Hoop Shoot fosters a competitive yet friendly atmosphere where marksmen had the opportunity to showcase their skills and build camaraderie with fellow participants. Spectators witnessed remarkable demonstrations of accuracy and discipline as competitors aimed for top honors and the chance to represent New England at the National event, scheduled for April 16–19 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The event highlighted the dedication and sportsmanship of all involved.
Hoop Shoot, established in 1972 by the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, is a free throw contest dedicated to promoting youth development and sportsmanship throughout the United States. Initially launched as a local initiative, the program rapidly expanded to include regional and national competitions, attracting participants from every state.
The event is organized into three age groups each for boys and for girls, ages 8-9 years old, 10 to 11 and 12 to 13. Each contestant takes 25 foul shots, ten each in the first round and then fifteen more in the second. After the group completes their shots, ties are determined by each of the affected shooters taking five more shots each till a winner is determined.
Barbara McCallum recognizes the two 12-13 y/o boys who tied for first place did so with 25 of 25 scores in the regular competition, with two tie-breakers being finally decided by one shot difference (10 of 10 versus 9 of 10).
For this year’s event, conducted the morning of Saturday, March 7th, five shoot-offs were required in all to determine placing the contestants for 8-9 year-old girls’ 2nd & 3rd places, 10-11 year-old boys’ 2nd & 3rd places, 12-13 year-old girls’ 1st & 2nd and 3rd places and 12-13 year-old boys’ 1st & 2nd places.
As the day wound to a close the six top shooters, going to represent New England at the Nation Shoot in April are
Logan Mulken-Rusin,
8-9 y/o girl from South Kingston, RI lodge 1899
Tyler Brightman,
8-9 y/o boy from Fall River, MA lodge 118
Harper Small,
10-11 y/o girl from Augusta, ME lodge 964
Jack Young,
10-11 y/o boy from Nashua, NH lodge 720
Lilly Panda,
12-13 y/o girl from Beverly-Peabody, MA lodge 1309
Charlie Granato,
12-13 y/o boy from Marshfield, MA lodge 2494