MGA Students Show Off Cornhole Skills At National Competition

Author: News Bureau
Posted: Monday, January 11, 2021 12:00 AM
Categories: Pressroom | Students | School of Health and Natural Sciences | School of Business

Macon, GA

What began as backyard fun with family and friends is now serious business for two Middle Georgia State University freshmen.

Well, not that serious. We are, after all, talking about the popular game of cornhole. But it’s true that Chelsea Hubbard, a nursing major from Gray, and Michael Radney, a business major from Dublin, have taken their bean bag tossing to a new level.

Backed by a sponsorship from BG Cornhole, the duo recently competed at the National College Cornhole Championship held in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and broadcast on ESPN. They finished 7^th out of about 40 teams in the doubles category. Radney, 19, also finished in the top 16 in the singles category.

“Cornhole is relaxing if you’re playing for fun,” Radney said. “But it’s a competitive thing for me. I’ve always been competitive in everything I do, even when playing Monopoly.”

Both Radney and Hubbard, also 19, began playing cornhole as children, picking up a love for the game from their respective parents. Eventually they began accompanying their parents to local tournaments and were soon competing themselves.

“We got to the point where we were playing every afternoon,” Hubbard said.

As described by the American Cornhole Association (ACA), cornhole or corn toss is similar to horseshoes except you use wooden boxes called cornhole platforms and corn bags instead of horseshoes and metal stakes. Standing 27 feet away, players take turns pitching their corn bags at the cornhole platform until a contestant scores 21 points. A corn bag in the hole scores three points, while one on the platform scores one point.

Cornhole is said to have originated in 14^th century Germany, according to the ACA, although accounts vary. In the U.S., the game first gained popularity in the Midwest because, to state the obvious, that’s where most of the nation’s corn is produced. In the past 15 years, the game has grown increasingly popular and is now ubiquitous in backyards, at beaches, and in nightspots across the nation.

Radney and Hubbard have played in a number of tournaments, many through Lake Country Cornhole based in Milledgeville. In fact, what really got Radney seriously into the game was when he played against Lake Country Cornhole operator Chris Burrell and lost 21-0.

“I didn’t like that at all,” Radney said. “It motivated me to practice more and get better.”

Radney estimates he practices four to five hours a day. Hubbard’s studies limit daily practice to about an hour, but during a recent demo of their skills both MGA students got more bags in the hole than not. At one point, Hubbard’s bag slipped into the hole three consecutive tosses.

After graduation from MGA, Hubbard plans to begin a career in pediatric nursing, while Radney hopes to open a small business of some kind. As side gigs, both students want to become cornhole professionals and play in tournaments that offer cash prizes.

“It’s a great way to travel and meet people,” Radney said, “and just have some fun.”