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Eighteen girls and boys were recently awarded trophies in the Elks Hoop Shoot Contest sponsored by Wheeling Elks Lodge No. 28. The contest was held on January 4, 2025 at Wheeling University. The contest included participants from public and private schools in both Marshall County and Ohio County. In the front row pictured above, third place winners included, from left to right, Nora Whisler, girls 8-9 division; Gia Macon, girls 10-11 division; Claire Phillips, girls 12-13 division; Br’oayx Blake, boys 12-13 division; Camden Kittle, boys 10-11 division; and Marcus Bellen, boys 8-9 division. In the middle row, second place winners included, from left to right, Kyla Dalton, girls 8-9 division; Kate Cronin, girls 10-11 division; Taylor Himmelrick, girls 12-13 division; Cruz Fazio, boys 12-13 division; Ben Phillips, boys 10-11 division (Not Pictured); and Benjamin Wright, boys 8-9 division. In the back row, the first-place champions included, from left to right, Milli Hanson, girls 8-9 division; Nora Thalman, girls 10-11 division; Claire Goddard, girls 12-13 division; Brazen Smith, boys 12-13 division; Pace Pettit, boys 10-11 division; and Levi Smith, boys 8-9 division. Each of the six overall champions will advance to the Elks Northern District Hoop Shoot Contest to be held Saturday, January 18, 2025 at St. Mary’s High School in St. Mary’s, West Virginia. The Elks Hoop Shoot is a national free-throw shooting contest for girls and boys ages 8-13. This year alone, nearly four million youths are expected to compete nationwide.