Sopris Elementary fourth-grader Kevin Flohr came back from Springfield, Mass., with a 3-foot high trophy.

It’s not the one he wanted, though.

Flohr earned runner-up honors in the 10-11 division of the Elks Hoop Shoot National Free Throw Contest by sinking 23-of-25 shots recently. The winner, Taylor Worman of Effingham, Ill., hit 24 of his shots.

“I wanted first,” said Flohr, who was competing for the first time in the contest his brother, Sean, won twice. “Next year I’m hoping I can make it to Nationals again and win. After I lose, I want to win more and more every year.”

Flohr said he went out and practiced the day he got back from the event. He doesn’t need to get much better.

He sunk 10-of-10 shots in his first set to start out the contest. Flohr and was the only competitor of the 11 shooters in his age group to be perfect in the first 10 shots.

In the second set of 15 shots, Flohr was off the mark on his sixth and final shots – both of which he thought were going in when the ball left his hand.

“The last one hit the back of the rim, then hit the back again, then hit the front and went up and hit the front again and went out,” Flohr said.

The final shot would have guaranteed at least a tie and shoot-off to determine the champion. Still, the next shooter had to be perfect in the second round to beat Flohr, and he was.

Worman, who shot immediately after Flohr in the contest, sunk all 15 and earned his second Hoop Shoot national championship. Worman also won the 8-9 boys division when he was in that age group.

Flohr – the son of new Glenwood Springs High School boys basketball coach Kevin Flohr – won the local, district, state and regional championships to advance to nationals.

At regionals he sank 24-of-25 free-throw attempts to become one of 72 competitors nationwide to advance to nationals. Roughly 3 million boys and girls ages 8-13 have participated in the Hoop Shoot since last fall.