PORTLAND, Maine – Having already tasted glory in local, district and state competitions, Tilak Patel captured another first-place trophy March 24 with a large contingent of New Hampshire Elks and parents on hand to support the six Granite State champions competing.

He wowed the crowd at the Elks Northeast Regional Hoop Shoot Championships as he calmly dropped in 21 out of 25 free throws. Patel, the 11-year-old son of Chandrika and Bhagirath Patel, demonstrated an accuracy from the penalty line well beyond his years and brought honor to his hometown of Nashua.

Joining Patel in the champion’s circle of Regional Winners were: 8/9 Boys Champion Hansen Towle (24 free throws) from Connecticut; 12/13 Boys Champion T.J. Cahill (21) from Rhode Island; 8/9 Girls Champion Peyton Grant (21) from Maine; and two Massachusetts girls, 10/11 Champion Emily Haskell (22) and 12/13 Girls Champion Larson Henken (19).

Representing Nashua Lodge #720, Patel, a student at Fairgrounds Middle School, has found his way to the top of a field of more than three million boys and girls, ages 8-13, who have participated in the contest since last fall. Now, Patel will travel with his parents, courtesy of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, to Springfield, Mass. – the birthplace of basketball – to be among the 72 top youngsters vying for the chance to claim one of six national titles awarded at the Elks “Hoop Shoot” National Free Throw Contest from April 20-22.

A great showing in the national championship will not only earn Patel a place in Elks “Hoop Shoot” history, but also could land his name on a plaque in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He is in striking distance of accomplishing a feat done by Hudson’s Caleb Donnelly six years ago when he won the Elks National Hoop Shoot Championship in the 12-13 Boys division.

Now in its 40th year, the Elks “Hoop Shoot” Free Throw Contest has seen more than 112 million participants since its inception, making it the largest coeducational youth sports program in the nation. Funded entirely by the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Elks “Hoop Shoot” Free Throw Contest has served as a testing ground for sports legends like Cleveland Cavaliers’ Trajan Langdon, WNBA 2001 Rookie of the Year Jackie Stiles, Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Steve Alford, Olympic gold medallist and former Golden State Warrior Chris Mullin, former North Carolina State star Jennifer Howard and former Chicago White Sox third baseman Chris Snopek.

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is a patriotic and philanthropic fraternal organization with nearly 1-million members in more than 2,100 communities.