IW Knights of Columbus Crown Free Throw Champions for 2026

Five (5) boys and girls from Chesterfield, Maryland Heights, & St. Louis (all Missouri), ages 9 to 14, were named local champions of the 2026 Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship and have earned the right to compete at the district level.

The Incarnate Word Council #9981 in Chesterfield, MO sponsored the local competition on January 6, 2026, at Incarnate Word Parish in Chesterfield in the Kent Center. All youth ages 9 to 14 were eligible to participate.

The Nine-year-old champion was Emmett Winters from Chesterfield, MO in the boys’ bracket. Allegra Coon from Maryland Heights, MO was the 10-year-old girls’ champion. In the 11-year-olds’ bracket, Sutton Schneider from St. Louis, MO was the boys’ champion. Twelve-year-old winner in the boys’ division was Ryan Shupe from Chesterfield, MO.   The 13-year-old boys’ division was won by Raymond Wintersof Chesterfield, MO. No Fourteen-year-old champions were crowned as there no participants in that division.

Each of these winners will compete in the district competitions to be held on February 15^th in Creve Coeur, MO at St. Monica Parish at 3:30pm with an eye toward moving on to the jurisdictional and international levels.

Please Spread the Word!
Incarnate Word Council #9981 in Chesterfield, MO is one of 16,000 Knights of Columbus councils that make up the world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in 1882 to assist working-class and immigrant Catholics in the United States, today the approximately two million members of the Knights put their faith into action through a broad range of charitable causes locally, nationally and internationally with financial contributions and hands-on service.

More details about the 2026 Incarnate Word Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship ….including the complete rules, essay topic, etc.……can be found by going to iwknights9981.com/freethrow.  The IWKnights want to thank all the kids who participated in the Free Throw Championship and all the volunteers who helped with the event, etc.