Posted by Dylan Savela, Manistee News Advocate

Sara Bromley won the Knights of Columbus Free Throw state championship in the girls 9-year-old division.

Sara Bromley didn’t hesitate to divulge her secret to sinking free throws.

“Practice,” the 9-year-old said simply.

And her method paid off in a big way this month when the Onekama fourth grader won the Knights of Columbus state free throw championship.

Bromley sunk 15-of-25 foul shots in Mount Pleasant on March 10, and made 4-of-5 twice in the following tie-breaking rounds to take home the trophy in the girls’ 9-year-old division.

“I was nervous,” she said of the competition’s final round, but cited a different feeling about the outcome. “It was really exciting.”

Bromley made stops at Manistee Catholic Central for the local round, Cadillac for district competition, and Gaylord for regional action, placing first at each step of the way. Prior to the Knights of Columbus contest,  she took third in the regional round of the Elks Hoop Shoot in February.

Behind the scenes, however, was where Bromley put her best foot forward.

“She loves basketball, and after (the Elks Hoop Shoot) she really got into it,” said Sara’s mother Jennifer. “She would get her basketball at recess and ask to go down to the gym and shoot. Then, she’d go after school and shoot every single day.

At 9, Bromley has already spent a lot of time around the court, and is looking forward to fifth grade, when she’ll be able to play the game in a team setting.

“She’s always attended the basketball camps in Onekama and Manistee, and her older sister plays also, so she was definitely exposed to it her whole life basically,” Jennifer said. “She really enjoys playing sports, and basketball in particular.”

Before Sara entered the Elks and Knights of Columbus competitions this year, she had never participated in a free throw contest. The new experience proved fruitful, both in success and friendship.

“Another thing, too, that she really enjoyed about the whole thing was meeting new friends,” Jennifer said. “She met so many kids along the way and she really enjoyed that.

“She was able to travel to new schools,  and meet new faces.”

When Sara had to keep her focus through two overtime rounds in the championship, that dedication to practice paid off. And her family shared in the excitement.

“We were thrilled,” Jennifer said, “A lot of it was self motivated. She just really likes it, and she’s got that personality where she wants to do well at everything she does.

“If she wants to, we hope she has a lot of good times ahead of her in basketball.”