Al Babb, Nevada state director, left, stands with Amillya Bishop, the 12-13-year-old winner.
Provided to the LVN
On Dec. 16, the Fallon Elks Lodge had 18 boys and girls (between 8-13-years-old) sign up and compete in its Hoop Shoot event.
The division were 8-9-year olds for boys; 10-11-year olds for boys; 12-13-year olds for boys; and 12-13-year olds for girls. (No girls 8-9 or 10-11 signed up.)
Deacon Johnson won the 8-9 boys contest; Luke Champneys won the 10-11 boys contest; Weston Starr won the 12-13 boys contest; and Amillya Bishop won the 12-13 girls contest.
On Jan. 27, the Fallon winners competed at the Central District Elks Hoop Shoot Contest in Austin with winners of the Reno, Carson City, Sparks, Tonopah, Tahoe/Douglas, Elko and the Hawthorne Elks Lodge contests.
Deacon Johnson won the Central District 8-9 Boys contest; and Amillya Bishop won the Central District 12-13 Girls Contest; Luke Champneys finished second in the Central District 10-11 boys contest.
Deacon and Amillya and their parents headed to Hawthorne on Feb. 10 for the Nevada State Elks Hoop Shoot Finals. They both won and now are the Nevada State Elks Hoop Shoot champions.
They traveled to Las Vegas on Feb. 24 for the Elks Area 7 Finals to compete against the area winners from California/Hawaii, Utah and Arizona.
A win there means a trip to Chicago for the championship and for the champion’s name to be entered in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame along with some of the best players in the NBA.