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Local Athlete Wins State Free Throw Championship In Triple Death Style

photo by provided Full tilt at whatever sport she plays is pint sized Kyra Bradford!

photo by provided Every season is one to compete in when you are Kyra Bradford.

Tuesday March 28, 2017

By Cookie Steponaitis

Kyra Bradford is used to competitions. The twelve-year-old began competing in sports when she was five years old and her first endeavor was to compete in wrestling and is a tough competitor. Kyra finished her wrestling career with a third-place finish in the state fighting back from a first loss to defeat five more male competitors sending a message that small and power can come in the same package.
    Giving up wrestling was incredibly difficult for young Kyra, but she felt she had to choose and her love of basketball and football won out over wrestling. Kyra has a goal of becoming a quarterback by the time she is in high school and demonstrates the same tough competitive spirit on the field as she did on the mat. When she was nine Bradford competed in the NFL Punt, Pass and Kick Competition where she made it to Gillette Stadium and defeated all the entrants in the 8-9 age female category.  She was honored during half-time at the Patriot’s game which confirmed Kyra’s plans and dreams for where her future passion for sports would play out. As the only girl and quarterback in the Middlebury Youth Flag football program this past year Kyra’s working knowledge of the game grew immensely and she worked with her team to demonstrate that football is a sport of athletes not genders.
    When she is not on the playing field or on the wrestling mat, Kyra spends time on her third passion of basketball. The Knights of Columbus put on a free throw competition and hold it annually nationwide. Kyra competed at the local level at St. Peter’s Parish Hall in Vergennes and went on to win districts at Mount Abraham. She attended the State Championship at St. Monica’s School in Barre, Vermont March 19th and was selected to shoot first. Kyra hit eleven out of the first twenty-five shots and found she had tied another competitor named Sophia. At this stage if an event is tied the two remaining contestants get five more free throws. Kyra led off and hit three of the five. Sophia followed her with three out of five. Again, they were tied. The next round was more intense with both athletes hitting four out of five shots. At this point, Barre auditorium and the crowd were literally vibrating with energy and Kyra could barely hold the ball she was shaking so much. Kyra demonstrated her well-known determination and won the event in triple sudden death, giving the audience a thrill it will long remember and adding yet another experience to her career in sports.
    “I just love competing,” remarked Kyra Bradford. “I love to win but making progress in the sport is the most important. I believe learning sportsmanship and how to lose is just as important as the win.” Father Gene and mom Sasha were both on hand and in awe of their daughter’s focus. “Whether we are at a game, tournament, event or competition, she is the biggest fan to her teammates,” shared dad Gene Bradford. Mom Sasha chuckled when asked if there was anything her daughter could not do and replied, “Yes she can’t dance. The poor girl has two left feet, but she is a fearless competitor and she has three older brothers who have taught her to push and to be her best. Even as a child she always played with them and kept up with them. I believe they are the secret to helping Kyra be who she is as an athlete today.” As spring begins to peak into the Champlain Valley one might think Kyra has a season off but there are games to play, practices to attend and siblings to keep up with.

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