February 13, 2012
Brendan J. Whiting of DeSoto was the winner of the Illinois Elks Association State Hoop Shoot Finals on February 11, 2012 in Decatur, Illinois. He represented the South District by draining an impressive 24 of 25 shots from the line. Whiting was recognized at the Awards Banquet held at the Decatur Conference Center and Hotel on Saturday night.
The competition is sponsored by the Elks National “Hoop Shoot” Free Throw Program. Each state will send a winner to the National Regional Semi-Finals. As the Illinois State Champion, Brendan Whiting will advance to the Region #3 – North Central Competition on March 10, 2012. The Region #3 - North Central Competition will feature the State Champions from Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The Regional winner will advance to the 2012 National Hoop Shoot Finals in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Whiting, a 7th Grade Student at DeSoto Grade School, was the winner in the 12-13 Year Old Boys category of the contest.