By Tucker Henderson

Reporter

New York Mills students, Trygg Roder, seventh grade and Samantha Genoch, sixth grade, were the recent first and second place winners at the District Competition Hoop Shoot at Lake Region Christian School in Baxter on Saturday, Jan. 18.

The Hoop Shoot is a national competition sponsored by The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the United States and gives students ages 8-13 a chance to showcase their talents and improve their basketball skills.

For every student across the nation, the Hoop Shoot event begins on the local level. 

For NY Mills students, that means the Wadena Elks Lodge #2386 Hoop Shoot which was held on Saturday, Jan. 11 at the Wadena-Deer Creek Middle/High School gymnasium. Roder competed in the event and placed first in the 12-13 boys category with 21 out of 25 free throws. Genoch also took first place in the 10-11 girls category with 12 out of 25 free throws made.

Both students moved on to the District Competition in Baxter where Genoch took second place with 16 out of 25 free throws while Roder took first place at 24 out of 25 free throws. Both students were happy with their score and are excited for what comes next.

Genoch has participated in the event twice now, and wanted to improve her score this year at the Wadena Hoop Shoot. She had to miss a basketball tournament to participate, a decision she is glad that she won’t have to face in February.

“It was pretty good. I got a couple more baskets than I did the first time,” Genoch said, “I was hoping to get second, because if I would have went down to Hutchinson, I would have had to miss my last basketball tournament of the year.”

Roder on the other hand, is excited to be able to move on to the Minnesota State Competition in Hutchinson on February 15. There he will compete with youth from Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin in order to move on to the North Central Region 3 Hoop Shoot semi-final which will take place on March 15 in Iowa City, Iowa.

“I’ve participated for three years now I think,” said Roder. “I went because I just love basketball and I am pretty good at free throws. I just like getting to shoot, getting to play more basketball.”

While Roder is looking forward to his overnight stay for the Hoop Shoot, he’s even more excited to share the experience with his brother, Bergen, who made it to the State Hoop Shoot in Hutchinson in 2023 and from there moved on to the Regional Competition.

“My brother went to Regionals,” said Roder, “and I felt happy getting first place because I want to go to Regionals like Bergen. I just gotta win one more round.”