MILWAUKEE, Wis. — From Brown Deer, Wis. to the NBA, Steve Novak built his career from beyond the arc. Now, the former professional basketball player is discovering some of Wisconsin's hidden shooters through the statewide competition 2s Frees 3s.
Novak co-founded and co-owns 2s Frees 3s with Brian Lammi, founder and co-owner of TEAM Lammi.
"It's basically like the basketball version of punt, pass, and kick," Novak said.
From sectionals to regionals and ultimately state finals, the 2s Frees 3s competition gives shooters of all ages and abilities a shot to compete for the grand prize.
"There were only four shooters left at the end to shoot against each other, representing all different age divisions," Novak explained. "Whoever made spot 21 first was going to win the $1,000, win the gold belt, be our grand champion, and [Quynn Knaust] was the one who knocked that shot down."
The first girl to be named the Grand Champion is 13-year-old Quynn Knaust, an eighth-grader from Grafton.
"It was really cool to go up against different ages to show that it doesn't really matter how old you are," Knaust stated. "If you're a girl or a boy, you can still win whatever you put your mind to."
Watch: Steve Novak's shooting competition crowns first female grand champion
It was a goal she had been working toward all summer.
"I don't count how many shots I take," Knaust shared. "I count how many shots I make, and I make at least 300 a day."
After an estimated 50,000 makes this summer, she's a rising star to watch as women's basketball surges forward.
"It's a special year to have a young lady win the competition because we've always thought this was a great equalizer, a competition that anybody could win, and I think Quynn certainly proved that the ladies have something to say about it," Novak smiled.
"If you work hard enough and you put your mind to it and you believe you can do it, you can," Knaust said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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