MARCH MADNESS EXPERIENCE: Davis Shares Fifth Place in Shootout

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Du Quoin High School sophomore J.C. Davis finished in a five-way tie for fifth place during the preliminary round of the Country Financial Three-Point Showdown Thursday night in Peoria.

Davis was one of 31 Class 2A shooters competing on the Carver Arena floor and narrowly missed a spot in Saturday afternoon's finals.

Tom Norton of Bloomington Central Catholic, James Jansen (Effingham St. Anthony) and Brandon Berry from Olney-East Richland finished in a three-way tie for first with 12 made baskets.

Massac County's Dustin Korte took the final qualifying slot by hitting 11 shots.

Davis and four others made 10 to share fifth place honors.

Other local shooters participating Thursday were Jake Hargis (7) and Clay Peck (9) of Sparta and Carlyle's Josh Rosol (7).

In Class 1A, Waltonville's Joseph Lewis made 10 shots to reach the final round.

Hoopy Jones of Meridian (8), Kyle Ingersoll from Zeigler-Royalton (9) and Hardin County's Taylor Joyner (7) also participated.

SLAM DUNK

No local athletes reached the final round of the IHSA Slam Dunk contest.

Four winners from each class advanced to the final round scheduled for 3:15 p.m. Friday.

From Class 1A : Dylan Burton of Girard, Zach Wood of Augusta (Southeastern), Ethan Koehler of Varna (Midland), and Dominique Warnsley of Warrensburg (W.-Latham) move on.

And from Class 2A: Matt Frahm of Stanford (Olympia), Myers Leonard of Robinson, Terel Williams of Chillicothe (Illinois Valley Central), and Rutger Neece of Greenville.

The winners from each class of the final round will face the winners of next weekend's Class 3A/4A competition for the title of King of the Hill.