Second-grader finishes 8th at Hoop Shoot finals

A Tucumcari second-grader finished eighth in her age bracket at the national finals of the Elks Hoop Shoot contest in Chicago.

Trinity Gonzales, sponsored by Tucumcari Elks Lodge 1172, made 17 of 25 shots in the age 8-9 girls division finals Saturday at Wintrust Arena, home to the WNBA’s Chicago Sky and the NCAA’s DePaul Blue Demons basketball teams.

Emersyn Hess, sponsored by an Elks lodge in Vincennes, Indiana, won that age division by making 24 of 25 shots – two more than the runner-up.

Only one competitor went a perfect 25-of-25 at the finals. That was Brendan Smith of Marietta, Georgia, in the boys age 12-13 division.

Her mother, Heather Gonzales, stated in a Facebook post after the finals that Trinity received the most well-wishes of any contestant at Chicago. She also had the most popular trading card that was issued to all finalists.

Tucumcari Elementary School also gave Trinity a send-off of cheers and applause from her fellow students and teachers earlier in the week.

Trinity won the Tucumcari competition, then the Northeast District shoot-off. She became state champ in her age group in the New Mexico Elks Association competition, then advanced to the finals by winning the Southwest Region championships in March in Carrollton, Texas.

It was the first time in about 30 years a Tucumcari child had advanced to the national Hoop Shoot finals.