The sounds of bouncing basketballs, swishing nets, running feet and a drumline filled State Gym Thursday night during the intramural free-throw contest.

The contest took place at the same time the ISU Groove Drumline Club was holding its weekly practice below the gym, distracting some participants.

Nicole Weis, junior in journalism and mass communication, said the biggest challenge she faced while shooting was the drumline, which at times caused her to lose her concentration. She was still able to finish second in the women’s division and first in the co-rec division.

The tournament was divided into three divisions — men’s, women’s and co-rec. Each participant could come and go as he or she pleased between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. During this time, participants had to make as many shots as they could out of 50 attempts. The co-rec division consisted of teams, each with a man and a woman, shooting 50 shots for a combined score. The two highest scores in each division won T-shirts.

Weis has participated in the free-throw tournament for the last three years and has come close to winning each year, but she had never before won the t-shirt.

“I knew if I shot my best this year, I could win,” Weis said.

Sarah Wright, senior in music, also found the drumline to be a distraction.

Even with the constant interruptions, Wright was able to make 46 free throws, good enough for first place in the women’s division.

Participants who came to shoot before Groove began practicing or who just weren’t affected by the drumming had other distractions to deal with.

Jeff Hoelscher, senior in electrical engineering and men’s division winner, said the adrenaline flowing through his body proved to be his biggest challenge.

“I made the first 39 in a row, and about halfway through my fingers started throbbing. The rebounders were silent because they didn’t want to jinx me,” Hoelscher said.

A group of suitemate participants, Justin Huebner, sophomore in agricultural business, Sherwin Klyn, sophomore in elementary education and Josh Ellingson, freshman in animal science, were only distracted by one another.

“The guys rebounding were pretty poor. They had a lot of bad passes, which threw me off,” Ellingson said jokingly, referring to his roommates.

Whether it was interruptions from the drumline, suitemates or pure adrenaline, participants fought through it all in their quest for the championship.

A correction to this article was printed on Feb 19, 2004:

Due to reporting errors, a headline and the Feb. 18 article “ISU Groove distracts free-throw competitors” incorrectly stated the ISU Groove Drumline Dlub, a performing drumline, was practicing in State Gym during an intramural free-throw shooting contest Feb 12. The Group practicing was the ISU Marching Cyclones Drill Team. The Daily regrets these errors.