Free throw competition won by basketball novice with near-perfect finish

By Eric Poe/sports editor

Cameron Armstrong wouldn’t have been expected to win NE Campus’ free throw contest, given his basketball background.

“I’ve never really played organized,” he said. “I’ve just kind of played. I’m a backstreet all-star.”

Armstrong overcame adversity to win the Jan. 27 tournament.

“The best part was coming back from last place to win it,” he said. “I started out horrible. It was a classic comeback.”

Armstrong started the three-round competition by going 14-for-20 in the first round, following with a 7-of-10 performance, then finishing with a 9-for-10 round.

“I thought I went perfect on the last round, but he [the referee] said I had one more to go,” he said. “And I missed it.”

Armstrong said second-place finisher Emily Cain motivated him to win.

“I couldn’t let her finish with the gold,” he said with a laugh. “I had to take her out.”

Cain said the tournament was fun, but she wanted the title.

“It could’ve been better ’cause I didn’t win,” she said. “But I shot a high percentage, so it was all good.”

Juan Gonzalez had looked to build on his performance in last semester’s free throw contest.

“Last year, I made it to the final,” he said. “I didn’t win this time, so it wasn’t too good. If it were 3-pointers, I would have done better, but it was just free throws.”