Eisenhower fourth grader and Indiana native Raya McCombie will represent Indiana County in the Elks Hoop Shoot Regional Competition on March 18.
West Central Elks 8-9 State Gold Medal winner Raya McCombie/Indiana and 8-9 State Silver Medal winner Brody Cortazzo/Indiana with Anthony Shea (Major – USAF – Ret) District Chairman and Dave Edwards past PA State President.
McCombie sank 18-of-25 free throws at the state competition in Bellefonte on March 4, which earned her a trip to the Regional Competition. At the competition, she will face two state champions – one from Elks New York and Elks New Jersey – in the 8-9 girls’ category. If she wins gold, she will go to the National Competition held in Chicago from April 20-23.
McCombie represents the Elks West Central District, consisting of lodges from Apollo, Blairsville, Indiana, Kittanning, Latrobe, Leechburg, Reynoldsville, Tarentum, and Wilkins.
The Regional Competition will take place in Wilkes Barre.
Find more information about McCombie and the Elks Hoop Shoot competition from the official news release below:
INDIANA, PA GIRL WINS STATE-WIDE FREE THROW COMPETITION – WILL COMPETE AGAINST NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY COMPETITORS ON MARCH 18
Distribution Date: March 15, 2023
INDIANA, Pa. – Eisenhower Elementary school 4th grade student Raya McCombie of Indiana, Pennsylvania will travel to Wilkes Barre, Pa. on March 18, 2023, to compete in the Regional Competition of the Elks Hoop Shoot in the 8-9 year-old girl category.
McCombie is the Pennsylvania State Hoop Shoot champion after successfully sinking 18 of 25 free throw shots at the state competition in Bellefonte, Pa. on March 4. Representing the Elks West Central District encompassing lodges in Apollo (#386), Blairsville (#406), Indiana (#931), Kittanning (#203), Latrobe (#907), Leechburg (#377), Reynoldsville (#519), Tarentum (#664) and Wilkins (#577), McCombie was joined by two other Indiana area students: 8-9 boy Brody Cortazzo, a 4th grader at Horace Mann Elementary and 12-13 girl Camidee Unrue, a 6th grade student at Indiana Area Junior High School.
Cortazzo won a silver medal at the competition coming in second place against boys in his age group.
As a state winner, McCombie automatically earned a trip to the Regional Competition on Saturday. In Wilkes Barre, she will face two other state 8-9 girls’ winners from Elks New York and Elks New Jersey. If McCombie is the gold medal winner in this weekend’s Regional Competition, she will head to the all-expense-paid National Hoop Shoot competition being held in Chicago, IL, April 20-23, 2023.
McCombie is a member of the 4th grade girls Indiana Boosters basketball team and is the daughter of Kelly and Dave McCombie of Indiana.
Two other gold medal winners from the Elks West Central District will be in Wilkes Barre competing this weekend alongside McCombie. 10-11 boy Escobar Bernat representing Elks Leechburg and 10-11 girl Channing Miller representing the Apollo Elks.
The Elks National Hoop Shoot contest has been developing gritty kids for 50 years. The Elks Hoop Shoot is a free throw program for youth ages 8-13.
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