Nativity of Mary School hoopsters advance to district level

Boys and girls from Nativity of Mary School, Harris Hill, ages 10 to 14, were named local champions of the 2007 Knights of Columbus Free-Throw Championship and have earned the right to compete at the district level. Members pictured, front row, left, are Kristen Hamilton, Emalee Green, Sara Hamilton and Victoria Fontana; second row - Joseph Hamilton, Joshua Janson, A. Frank Sardina, Kayahan Kosar and Sergey Fontana; third row - Grand Knight Hartl and Nativity PhysEd Instructor John Grismala.

Boys and girls from Nativity of Mary School, Harris Hill, ages 10 to 14, were named local champions of the 2007 Knights of Columbus Free-Throw Championship and have earned the right to compete at the district level.

John Cardinal O'Hara Council No. 13661, serving Akron, Clarence and Williamsville, sponsored the local competition at the Nativity of Mary School. All students ages 10-14 were eligible to participate.

Joseph Hamilton of Lancaster was the winner of the 10-year-old boys' division. In the 11-year-olds, Kristen Hamilton of Clarence was the girls' champion and Joshua Janson of Clarence Center was the boys' champion.

Twelve-year old winners in the girls' and boys' division were Emalee Green of Williamsville and A. Frank Sardina of Lancaster. Sara Hamilton of Clarence won the 13-year-old girls' division. Kayahan Kosar of East Amherst won the boys' competition. Fourteen-year old champions were Victoria Fontana in the girls' bracket and her brother Sergey Fontana of Cheektowaga in the boys'.

Each contestant was allowed 15 free-throw attempts in the contests. Ties were settled by successive rounds of five free throws per contestant until a winner emerged.

The Knights of Columbus Free-Throw Championship is sponsored annually by the international organization. Last year, more than 179,000 sharpshooters participated in over 3,000 local competitions.

Grand Knight Gregory Hartl said that each of these winners will compete in the district competition in the latter part of January with an eye toward moving on to the diocesan, upstate, state and international levels. The state competition will be held at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in the early spring, hosted by the Corps of Cadets.