WESTBROOK, Maine — Faith Sjoberg, an eighth-grade student at Presque Isle Middle School, won the Elks Hoop Shoot New England Regionals foul shooting competition held Saturday at Westbrook High School.
Sjoberg was successful in 24 of her 25 attempts to win not only the 12-13 year-old division, but also the Walter Kettelle Memorial Trophy for achieving the highest score among girls. The 13-year-old is the daughter of Kevin and Susan Sjoberg of Presque Isle.
Blayne Tardif was the runner-up in the 8-9 year-old division. She went 19 for 25 to finish in a tie for first, but fell short in the five-shot playoff against a competitor from Vermont. The 8-year-old, a third-grader at Mapleton Elementary School, is the daughter of Rob and Jaime Tardif of Mapleton.
Both Sjoberg and Tardif represented Presque Isle Elks Lodge 1954.
In order to reach the New Englands, Sjoberg and Tardif had to win four previous contests — first at their respective schools, then at the lodge contest at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, the Northern District finals in Bangor and the state finals in Fairfield.
Sjoberg will next compete at the Hoop Shoot National Finals in Chicago on April 21. This is the third consecutive year that she has made it to the nationals. She finished fifth in the 10-11 age division in 2016 and took third in the 12-13 category last year.
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- Blayne Tardif, 8-year-old daughter of Rob and Jaime Tardif of Mapleton, holds the runner-up trophy she received following the Elks Hoop Shoot New England Regionals held in Westbrook Saturday, March 24. Tardif finished in a tie for first place in the 8-9-year-old division, but lost to her Vermont competitor in the five-shot playoff. With Tardif is Maine Elks Association President David Anderson. (Contributed)
