Sports and Outdoors

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Bluffton Optimists host regional Tri-Star contest

Almost 40 children, including three from Bluffton, between the ages 8 through 13 came to the Life Church gym on Sunday, Feb. 19, to demonstrate their basketball skills in dribbling, passing, and shooting at the Optimist Tri-Star Regional Contest, hosted by Bluffton Optimist Club.

To qualify for the regional, the boys and girls had to finish first in their respective age groups at local contests conducted earlier by various Optimist clubs across northeastern Indiana.

First-place winners here advance to the District finals to be held Sunday, March 18, at New Castle’s Chrysler Fieldhouse.

The boys who finished among the top three in their respective age groups, plus the Optimist clubs they represented: Front row, left to right, Quinn Faulkner, 1st, 8-year-olds (West Jay), Derek Tabor, 2nd, 8-year-olds (New Castle), Aden Gerrian, 3rd, 8-year-olds (Brookville), Cameron Wise, 1st, 9-year-olds (Rushville), Cole McDaniel, 2nd, 9-year-olds (New Castle), Reid Claycomb, 3rd, 9-year-olds (West Jay), Andy Locker, 1st, 10-year-olds (Knightstown), Skylor Stevenson, 2nd, 10-year-olds (New Castle), and Brinnin Wasson, 3rd, 10-year-olds (West Jay). Middle row, from left, Mason Hardwick, 1st, 11-year-olds (New Castle), Landon McClish, 2nd, 11-year-olds (Bluffton), Matthew Paquette, 3rd, 11-year-olds (West Jay), Dallas Edwards, 1st, 12-year-olds (Knightstown), Clay McDaniel, 2nd, 12-year-olds (New Castle), and Nick Garcia, 3rd, 12-year-old (Bluffton). Top row, from left, Fisher Witham, 1st, 13-year­-olds (Knightstown), Luke Weisenbach, 2nd, 13-year-olds (Brookville), and John Paquette, 3rd, 13­-year-olds (West Jay).
The girls who finished among the top three in their respective age groups, plus the Optimist clubs they represented. Front row, left to right, are Carley Culberson, 1st, 8-year-olds (West Jay), Annika Marlow, 2nd, 8-year-olds (Rushville), Carli Cox, 3rd, 8-year-olds (New Castle), Rena Witham, 1st, 9-year-olds (Knightstown), Paxton Krenz, 1st, 10-year-olds (New Castle), Katelynn Clark, 2nd, 10-year-olds (Knightstown), Payton Mahu, 3rd, 10-year-olds (Hagerstown). Top row, from left, Shelby Caldwell, 1st, 11-year-olds (West Jay), Haylie Graham, 2nd, 11-year-olds (New Castle), Ashley VandenBoom, 3rd, 11-year-olds (Bluffton), Anna Davis, 1st, 12-year-olds (New Castle), and Madison Wise, 1st, 13-year-olds (Mt. Comfort).


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