The six 2010 Greater Nashua Elks area Hoop Shoot champions will compete in the State Elks South District Hoop Shoot Free Throw competition, Saturday morning in the Elm Street Middle School Gym in Nashua.

The contest will start at 9 a.m. and the public is invited to attend. An awards luncheon will take place following the contest at the Nashua Lodge of Elks which is hosting the South District Hoop Shoot Contest.

The six Greater Nashua Champions led by four Nashua youths, 13-year-old Michael Kernan, 10-year-old Tilak Patel, 10-year-old Heather Bridge and 9-year-old Hailey Sullivan; and two Hudson youths, 12-year-old Amanda Torres and 9-year-old Garrett Lambert will compete against the champions from Manchester, Concord, Keene, Rochester, Dover, Portsmouth and Derry/Salem areas.

Registration and the drawing of shooting positions will take place at the Elm Street Middle School gymnasium between 8-8:45 a.m., with the contest starting at 9. Each player will shoot 25 free throws for score and the winners of the six age divisions will advance to the State Elks Hoop Shoot Championships in Plymouth on Feb. 6 where they will compete against the North District Champions for the 2011 State Elks Hoop Shoot Free Throw Championship.

State winners will advance to the New England Regional, which will be held in Portland, Maine, in March with the winners going on to the Elks National Finals in Springfield, Mass. in April.

National winners will have their names inscribed in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

In the past 39 years, the Nashua Elks have sent 10 Regional Champions to the National Finals, including Nashuans Steve Piwowarski, Melissa “Missy” Ayotte, Debra Killmon, Ellen Tipping, Ryan Robinson, Ryan Sullivan, Michael Panagoulias, Max Coleman of Londonderry and Hudson boys Caleb Donnelly and Tom O’Hearn. Caleb Donnelly won the 2006 Elks National Hoop Shoot Free Throw Championship.

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