Morgan County Youth Win 2026 Elks District Hoop Shoot, Advance to State

First-place finishers from local Elks Hoop Shoot contests have moved on from lodge-level rounds to district competition, with several area youngsters now set for the state finals. The Jacksonville Elks Lodge #682 hosted its annual Hoop Shoot at The JHS Bowl, and its first-place finishers advanced to an Elks District Hoop Shoot scheduled for January 24 at the same venue. That progression keeps local competitors on the path toward the state and regional rounds.

At the Jacksonville event, age-group winners identified in lodge photo captions included Karsyn Smith of Our Saviour, Audrey Dorsey of Winchester and Hadley Turpin of Franklin in the girls 8-9 division. Owen Meyer of Triopia, Rowan Jefferson of Eisenhower and Grayson Frisch of Our Saviour finished 1-2-3 in the boys 8-9 division. The 10-11 girls top three were Ruthie Schumacher of Our Saviour, Addi Fuhler of Winchester and Kenzington Dillabough of Franklin; the 10-11 boys podium featured Jacob Williams of Winchester, Ryne Bunner of Eisenhower and Ace Zimmer of North. In the 12-13 divisions, Cora Wahl of Winchester and Nic Lawson of Winchester took first-place honors in the girls and boys brackets respectively, with Aleah Walls, Anna Miller, Kade Brown and Landon Sampson completing the listed top threes. Jacksonville Elks Lodge #682 President James Lomelino was pictured with the winners.

Other nearby Elks lodges also produced advancing competitors. The Sterling Elks held their Hoop Shoot Jan. 3 and listed winners including Sam Rubottom, Logan Sides, Jordan Etl, Reece Etl, Wyatt Smith, Lexi Michal, Charlie Etl, Kali Rubottom and Kendra Mildenberger; Hoop Shoot Chairman Keith Gentry was photographed with those winners. A separate report fragment lists Malia Zimmerman of Quincy as a girls 8-9 first-place finisher; that entry appears in a different source and is noted here as distinct from the Jacksonville captions.

Regional district competition results from other Elks areas show the statewide field taking shape. Stateline Sports Network reported the Northwest Ohio Elks District Hoop Shoot Jan. 4 at The Ohio State University-Lima/Rhodes State College, Cook Hall, with winners and scores including Meredith Mizla of Port Clinton (girls 8-9, 9/25), Lucy Kuhn of Findlay (10-11 girls, 16/25), Stella Sheeley of Mercer County (12-13 girls, 17/25 & 5/5), Calvin Homan of Mercer County (8-9 boys, 21/25), Brody Howe of Lima (10-11 boys, 23/25) and Blake Garrison of Mercer County (12-13 boys, 20/25). Stateline reiterated the contest structure: "The Elks Hoop Shoot is the national free throw shooting contest for boys and girls age 8 through 13. Each contestant has 25 shots at the hoop."

Stateline's schedule shows district winners advancing to the State Hoop Shoot on Saturday, February 21, 2026, in Newark, with the Regional Hoop Shoot on March 14, 2026, in South Bend and the National Hoop Shoot Competition on April 18, 2026, in Chicago. The Ohio Elks site confirms the state finals date and venue, noting that "The 2026 Ohio Elks Hoop Shoot Finals has been set for Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at Liberty Middle School in Newark." Ohio Elks also provided logistical support details: "All contestants and families were given Friday night lodging at the Newark DoubleTree Hotel, dinner on Friday and breakfast on Saturday, and all contestants received Elks basketballs, Drug Awareness backpacks/goodies, water bottles, goodie bags and t-shirts, compliments of the Ohio Elks Association."

Readers seeking clarification on regional schedules or tie-break procedures can contact Jean Zink at 419-303-9050 for additional information. Local lodges remain the best source for contestant follow-up and to confirm which winners will represent the area at Liberty Middle School. For Morgan County parents and community members, the coming weeks offer a chance to support young shooters advancing from lodge gyms to the state stage and to track which local names continue toward regional and national competition.