NEWS

BATH, ME – Maine’s Hoop Shoot story for the 2025 fraternal year reached an exciting milestone on Sunday, January 25th. Eighteen elite young athletes from across the state’s three Elks Districts—Coastal, Central, and Northern—converged on the Bath Middle School gymnasium to determine the top free-throw shooters in the state.

The competition brought together the best Boy and Girl shooters who had previously advanced through local lodge and district levels, representing a high standard of focus and athletic skill.

The following athletes earned their spot at the state level:

• 8-9 Year-Old Division: Amaya Perone (Sanford) & Benny Lamour (Portland), Miya Morse (Waterville) & Beckly Faulkner (Waterville), Addalyn Hewes (Presque Isle) & Nick Hopkins (Presque Isle)
• 10-11 Year-Old Division: Charlotte Lamb (Brunswick) & Jerry Dauphne (Brunswick), Harper Small (Augusta) & Teagon Bowlin (Augusta), Madelyn Pelletier (Millinocket) & Sawyer St. Peter (Presque Isle)
• 12-13 Year-Old Division: Emma Stackpole (Rockland) & Todd Kinny (Bath), Madison Magnusson (Augusta) & Landon Magnusson (Augusta), Natalie Porter (Presque Isle) & Ryder Holdsworth (Houlton).

The atmosphere in the gymnasium was one of intense concentration. The level of competition was remarkably high, necessitating several best-of-five shoot-offs to resolve ties in closely contested brackets. Throughout the pressure-filled rounds, the competitors were praised for their poise and exceptional sportsmanship.

The day was capped off by a rare and impressive feat from the Central District. Siblings Landon and Madison Magnusson of Augusta dominated the court, posting the highest scores of the entire event.

Landon Magnusson secured the Amos McCallum Award for the top boy shooter, missing only a single shot to finish with a stellar 24 out of 25.

Madison Magnusson followed suit, hitting 23 out of 25 to earn the Allen Richard Award for the top girl shooter.

As the 2025 Hoop Shoot journey continues, these athletes have set a high bar for excellence, with the two Magnussons along with Miya Morse, Nick Hopkins, Harper Small and Sawyer St Peter moving on to represent the best of Maine’s youth sports at the New England Regional competition where they’ll face off against the top shooters from New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire this coming March in South Portland.