STANDING STONE-Five youth marble players were crowned champions over the weekend here at the Local Ringer Marble Championships held at Standing Stone State park and their performances also won them a shot at a national title.

Clay County boy’s champion Cody Haney, Overton County boy’s champion Austin Wright, Standing Stone Open champion Sebastian Lee, Clay County girl’s champion Logan Mayberry, and Overton County girl’s champion Makynlee Sims were all presented a trophy and a all earned the right to participate in the 88th Annual National Marbles Tournament held to be held June 19-23, 2011, in Wildwood, NJ. 

It is there where these five mibsters will have the opportunity to compete for a $2,000 scholarship and national honors.

The National Marbles Tournament is the world’s oldest surviving nationwide contest for kids and it originated in 1922 in Philadelphia, PA.

Originally sponsored by Macy’s Department Store, each year the best marble players from around the country come to Wildwood to compete for the title of the National Marble Championship.

Both a boy’s champion and a girl’s champion are crowned each year from a field of youth players ages 14 and younger.

Ringer, the official tournament game, is played by placing 13 glass marbles in a cross pattern in the center of a 10- foot-wide ring. Players crouch in the ring to fire their shooter marble at the smaller blue marbles. The first player who shoots seven marbles out of the ring without penalty wins.

For further information about the marble program at Standing Stone State Park please call Shawn Hughes, Standing Stone State Park’s Park Interpretive Specialist 2 at 931-823-6347.

HEADED TO THE NATIONALS-Pictured are five area youth ringer marble players who will soon travel to Wildwood, NJ to compete for a national championship. Pictured, front row, left to right, are Sebastian Lee (Standing Stone Boys Open Champion) and Makynlee Sims (Overton County Girls Champion). Pictured, back row, left to right, are Cody Haney (Clay County Boys Champion), Austin Wright (Overton County Boys Champion), and Logan Mayberry (Clay County Girls Champion). (photo submitted)