The Catoctin Youth Association (CYA) Basketball had its first annual Shoot-A-Thon event on Sunday, January 21, 2018, at Catoctin High School. It was an action-packed, fun-filled day for all the participants, ranging from kindergarten-aged to seniors in high school. Participants competed in seven different age divisions.
There were plenty of smiles, great shots, entertaining games, and community bonding that showed the spirit of their Cougar family. Concessions, music, face painting by Elizabeth McBride, and a bunch of high fives and hugs throughout the day allowed for continuous fun. In addition, over three hundred non-perishable canned foods were collected during the event to be donated to the Thurmont and Emmitsburg Food Banks.
CYA Basketball has forty teams this season, with close to four hundred players. The intent of the Shoot-A-Thon was to help raise funds to offset CYA’s operating costs, help keep team fees as low as possible, provide future developmental resources for the program, and showcase players’ shooting skills.
Prizes were awarded to the highest percentage foul shooter, overall; highest percentage foul shooter in each age group; highest fundraiser overall (1st, 2nd, 3rd place); highest fundraiser at each division level; and the team that raised the most money at each level.
Highest fundraisers overall—1st Place: Drew Nicholson, 2nd Place: Jacob Kiltsch, 3rd Place: Anthony Kreitz and Kelly Glass; Divisional winners: Kellan McGuire, Landis Johnson, Josh Deyton, Abby Shives, Makena Sickeri, Katie Glass, and Courtney Eyler. Highest percentage foul shooter overall—Josh Skowronski; Divisional winners: Layne Ferrell and Kamryn Goodin, Josey Shaffer, Ethan Williams and Colton Gray, Abbey Shaffer, Dalton Reed, Kaden Fossett, and Rachel Fox.
Jason Smith, CYA Basketball president stated, “The leadership team has a vision to truly develop a ‘program.’ This means uniting our youth organization with our high school programs. Our motto is: ONE TEAM, ONE PROGRAM, ONE FAMILY! We used this event to bring all the programs together, and we have much to gain in the future from the success of this event. We plan to make this an annual event and build on this year’s experience. We do not participate in any other fundraising activities outside of asking local businesses for sponsorships, so this will be our sole fundraiser each year.”
Pictured are Tommy Fitzpatrick (dunking) and Dylan Nicholson.
Photo by Hillary Palmer
Amy Entwistle, Jim Weddle, Chris Barnhart, and Jason Smith are shown during the Shoot-A-Thon. The coaches are coordinating efforts between programs to strenghten basketball participation in the area.
Photo by Deb Abraham Spalding
