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Boundary County youth qualifies for North Idaho
Regionals
in Elks Hoop Shoot competition |
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January 26, 2015 |
One of Idaho's premier basketball free throw
shooters lives right here in Boundary County.
Trey Bateman, nine year old son of Cal and
Melissa Bateman, and a student at Valley View
Elementary School in Bonners Ferry, has been
competing in the Elks National Hoop Shoot, a
nationwide free throw program for youth ages 8
through 13.
 Let's
clarify that--Trey has not been simply competing
in the free throw contest, he has been winning,
not only this year, but last year also.
In a stellar performance last year, the first
year he was eligible to compete as an eight year
old, Trey won the 2014 District and North Idaho
Elks free throw competitions. In last year's
finals to become the Idaho state champion, he
barely lost in an overtime shootout after tying
for first place with 22 out of 25 free throws
made.
This year's Elks District Free Throw contest was
held in Sandpoint on January 10. In that
contest, Trey outgunned eight other competitors,
taking first place by sinking 20 out of 25 free
throws. Winning that contest sent him to the
North Idaho Regional contest held in Kellogg
just this past Saturday. There, Trey added more
hardware to his trophy collection by winning the
North Idaho Regionals, sinking 22 of 25 free
throws.
Next up for Trey: the tournament for the Idaho
State Championship, which will be held February
14 at Snake River High School in Blackfoot,
Idaho. There he will compete for a chance to
become the Number One free throw shooter in the
8-9 age division in the state of Idaho.
The winner of the Idaho state competition will
advance to the Western Regional competition in
Vancouver, Washington, where he will face off
against state champions from Alaska, Washington,
and Oregon. From there the winner travels across
the country for the opportunity of a life time—a
trip to the Hoop Shoot National Finals in
Springfield, Massachusetts, with a chance to win
the National Hoop Shoot championship.
Springfield, Massachusetts is the home of the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. At
the National competition there, one boy and one
girl from each age group will win a national
title and will have their names permanently
inscribed at the Basketball Hall of Fame. The
2015 Elks Hoop Shoot National Finals will take
place April 16-19.
Good luck Trey Bateman! |
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