It was a challenging day for young boys and girls at the Elks Lodge Hoop Shoot on Saturday at Carson Middle School.
But 10-year-old Kyle Krebs and 9-year-old Jayden DeJoseph were more than up to the challenge. They were the winners in their respective age divisions.
They will now have a chance to progress through the next several stages to be held over the next several months. The next stage, the district championship, will be held at Carson Middle School.
Winners in that event will advance to the state championships to be held in Hawthorne. From there it's on to the regionals in Las Vegas and the regional winners will qualify for the national event.
The 10-year-old Krebs faced the challenge of effectively moving up a class as he competed in the 10-11-year-old boys division. Krebs shot from the regulation 15-foot line as opposed to the 11-foot line, which he had been used to.
"The regulation line is much, much harder," Krebs said. Or as event director Ron Buder put it, "they have to practice quite a lot to loft the ball so far."
In the event, the competitors shot 10 free throws in the first round and 15 free throws in the second round for a total of 25 free throws. Krebs, a fifth grader at Mark Twain Elementary School, struggled in the first round, going 4-for-10. But Krebs came back to make 10-of-15 in the second round for a respectable 14-of-25 finish.
"I think I was just relaxed," said Krebs about the second round. "That's how I did better in the second round. I was nervous in the first round.
"I love the game. I just go out to the front yoaurd and just shoot and shoot and shoot."
Krebs also talked about the importance of free throws. "It's a clutch situation," he said. "If you miss them that could be the game for your team."
DeJoseph, a fourth grader at Bordewich-Bray Elementary School, shot from the 11-foot line in the 8-9 boys division. DeJoseph also loves the game as demonstrated when he rushed off to a basketball tournament as soon as he was finished with the competition.
He made 8-of-10 in the first round. He missed 2 of his first 3 free throws in the second round, but settled down to go on to make 12-of-15 for a 20-of-25 total (80 percent).
DeJoseph said he shoots about 100 free throws a day. "I started a new rhythm," said DeJoseph about how he gathered himself in the second round. "I went a little slower."
"It felt real good," said DeJoseph about his overall finish. "I found a rhythm." DeJoseph echoed Krebs thoughts on the importance of free throws. "In the games it hels you win," he said.