K-8 youth playing for more titles this week

CELINA-A new sign honoring Clay County’s four Ringer Marbles National Champions has been installed by the City of Celina, and ironically a handful of local youth are competing to earn the right to have their names added to it this week in Wildwood, NJ.

“Marbles is an important cultural part of our past and our present, and we want to make sure that it is a part of our future,” city mayor Luke Collins said.  “We want to preserve it, and we certainly want to congratulate and honor these very talented young ladies and gentlemen that have been so successful in representing Celina so well.”

The sign features the names of champions Amanda Burns (1993), Molly Reecer (1996), Logan Mayberry (2012), and Myles Lacy—who won last year’s title as the youngest boy to ever do so at nine years old.

Lacy is currently completing his reign as the 2024 National Champion alongside three other local players at the 102nd National Marbles Tournament on the East Coast.

He is joined at the tournament by 12-year-old Aaden Mayberry, 14-year-old Emma Strong, and 12-year-old Kindel Woods—who are all 7th-graders at Celina K-8.

“This is marble-champion central,” Collins said of his hometown.  “We wish all of our local players lots of luck this week!”

See next week’s HORIZON for more on the local mibsters, including how they fare on the national stage.