SARATOGA SPRINGS — The International Shooter Federation (IFC), hosted its second “Saratoga Frees and Threes” event Sunday, Jan. 30, where shooters battled it out for a $20,000 purse. The event host and organizer Dan Britten of TopNetRealty said this is just one of many skill shooting competitions he hopes to bring to the area.
The event brought in more than fifty participants and their families to the Saratoga Springs Rec Center at 15 Vanderbilt Avenue. Athletes wanted to see how they stacked up against the best shooters in the region. The event was composed of two main competitions: free throws and 3 pointers, and each had 3 separate brackets to accommodate for skill level and age. Out of the 50 ballers, 14 went home validated with cash prizes ranging from $250 to $7,000.
Al Callejas of Archbald, Pennsylvania, who was last year’s free throw winner, won the top prize in the 3-point contest of $7,000. Sean Parker of Troy won the top free throw contest prize of $5,000.
Local winners include Courtney Malewicz of Ballston Spa, winnning $500 as top women’s free throw shooter; Sarah Kill of South Glens Falls, winning $500 as top women’s 3-point shooter; and Lance Comer of Wilton, winning $250 as runner-up of the Adult Division free throw contest.
Game highlights, provided by Britten, note that Callejas made 102 of 117 three-point attempts on the day, qualifying by tying E.J. Gallup in the semi-final with a 17 of 20 score and advancing from the playoff with a 12 of 12 score after Gallup posted an 11 of 12 score.
Callejas knocked down 23 of 25 in the final to beat Sean Parker’s 21 of 25. Parker made 102 of 105 free throws, and James Pauley made 96 of 100 free throws. Gallup made an incredible 80 of 92 three-point attempts that day, and missed the final by 1 shot in a semi-final playoff.
Britten said the event didn’t make money this time around. “There’s a lot of overhead in this kind of thing,” he said. But that doesn’t make the event a loss, he said, but more of a showcase for future events. Moving forward, IFC aims to design events, which will take place during halftime at games and center around a younger group. Britten also expressed his gratitude to his many sponsors and TopNetRealty for their contributions and support. For more information on upcoming events, visit FreesandThrees.com.