Malta Knights set state record

The Malta Knights of Columbus recently broke a state record with seven participants taking seven of the twelve possible State Free Throw Championships.

The seven Malta champions were Kelbie Marks, who won the Age 9 Girls Trophy after going 12-for-25, Bohdi Brenden, who won the Age 10 Boys trophy after going 22-for-25 at the line, Samme Gibbs, who won the Age 11 Girls trophy after going 13-for-25, Carson Ottinger, who won the Age 11 Boys trophy after going 23-for-25, Jared Eggebrecht, who won the Age 12 Boys trophy after going 22- for-25, Erica Smith who won the age 14 Girls trophy after going 19-for-25, Kooper Oxarart, who won the age 14 Boys trophy after going 22-for-25.

Oxarart, now 15, the oldest of the Malta champs ended his Knights’ Free Throw Career with a state title winning the event locally every year for the past four years. It was his first time making state and coming home with a title.

“It was fun,” Oxarart said about finding out he had won a state title. “It was exciting because I had never won anything out of Malta before. I had never won something that big before.”

Oxarart, who is about to enter his freshman year of high school, plans to play basketball for the Malta Mustangs. He played nearly every position during his middle school basketball years.

“I mostly played point guard or shooting guard,” he said.

He has been in a position to win a game at the free throw line.

“We have had a lot of intense games like that,” Oxarart said noting that he won games at the line and lost them to opposing teams who were at the line.