TOLEDO, Ohio — Getting into the record books is no easy feat, but one Ohio teenager made it look pretty simple.
Ava Pietras has played basketball since kindergarten. She’s a versatile player who plays mainly point and shooting guard. With sports and school looking a little different this year, Pietras found extra time on her hands.
“I was just focusing more on basketball,” said Pietras, new free throw record holder. “I was in here a lot working on that and shooting.”
She works out regularly with her coach Anthony Miracola who just happens to be an excellent shooter. Miracola currently holds four Guinness Book of World Records for it. One of those is for most free throws in one minute at 67-years-old, which is kind of how they came up with the idea for Pietras.
“We kind of discussed it a bit,” said Miracola.
Pietras wanted to break the women’s record for most free throws made in a minute, which at the time was 40.
“Forty. Doable. I can beat 40,” said Pietras. “So I decided to do it after that.”
Once it was clear she could do it, they went to work.
“I bet you did (300) or 400 rounds in practice,” said Miracola.
Eventually she didn’t just beat the record — she demolished it.
“Fifty-two for 59 in a minute,” said Pietras.
That means Pietras almost shot one ball every second for a minute. Now that she’s checked that off her list, she has a new goal.
“Go to D-1 college,” said Pietras. “Then stay professional here or go overseas and play.”
