Panama’s Kiera Loberg was crowned the Summer Shooting Challenge Champion by the Chautauqua Fusion after making 36,620 shots from June 28 to Aug. 19. Submitted photo

Chautauqua Fusion recently announced the top shooters in its Summer Shooting Challenge. The challenge was primarily designed for girls entering grades five through nine. Each participant received a customized basketball shooting routine, attended a two-hour practice session once per week with coaches Mike Engdahl, Greg Hopkins, Josh Daniels and Amanda Kolstee and received access to the Point Guard College Online Shooting Course. All participants were challenged by the coaches to make at least 2,500 shots and complete a ball handling routine at least 25 times.

The challenge ran from June 28 through Aug. 19. During this time, 33 girls participated in the challenge, resulting in 201,154 shots made and 637 ball handling routines completed.

Kiera Loberg from Panama Central School was crowned the Summer Shooting Challenge Champion and made 36,620 shots. Moreover, she made 24,420 shots during the first 31 days of the challenge breaking the record for shots made in a month in a Fusion shooting challenge. The previous record of 18,000 shots made was set by Grace Lundmark of Falconer Central School in May 2020.

In second place was Ava Sears from Randolph Central School with 23,330 shots made and in third place was Alex Halstrom from Maple Grove with 22,770 shots made.

Other participants in the Top 10 included Emma Lewis from Southwestern (13,442 shots made), Reagan Stutzman from Southwestern (12,250 shots made), Halle Young from Southwestern (11,830 shots made), Rosie Segrue from Southwestern (11,692 shots made), Gracie Gerring from Maple Grove (5,484 shots made), Lexi Pattyson from Cassadaga Valley (5,329 shots made) and Kailee Lacki from Cassadaga Valley (5,320 shots made).

Additional participants who met the minimum standard of at least 2,500 shots made and 25 ball handling routines completed included Anna Conley (Southwestern), Bryanna Cornell (Maple Grove), Marlana Cresanti (Southwestern), Carley Daniels (Jamestown), Aliza Hind (Randolph), Aliyah Hopkins (Cassadaga Valley), Breonna Hopkins (Cassadaga Valley), McKenna Kolstee (Panama), Kylie Kress (Maple Grove), Payton Meeder (Cassadaga Valley), Kiersten Olson (Panama), Lily Robinson (Southwestern), Dani Trim (Maple Grove) and Brooke Warner (Panama).

Chautauqua Fusion is a local girls youth basketball organization. For more information about Chautauqua Fusion’s skill development and travel basketball programs, please contact Chris Dole at (716) 338-6635 or Mike Engdahl at (716) 485-1409.