MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA – Competing for only the second year, Winthrop University’s cornhole players returned to Myrtle Beach in early January to reclaim coveted national titles.
The Eagles captured the team title and the doubles competition during the American Cornhole League National Competition at the Myrtle Beach Sports Center. Winthrop Cornhole competes in a full fall semester of competition followed by participation in the National College Cornhole Championship.
Coach Dusty Thompson said his players rose to the top in this event, held Jan. 1-2. “We dared to dream big and came remarkably close to sweeping the event, ultimately taking home the majority of the events,” he said. “We proudly celebrate our Eagles.”
Students Gavin Hamann and Jaxson Remmick captured the doubles title, while teams consisting of players Eddie Wenker and Jake Hernandez and then Tyler Harrington and Josh Quinn made the final four.
The team title went to Winthrop students Hayden Gonzales, Dylan Graham and Sal Sandoval and Mikayla Calvey, which is the team’s first female winner.
Last year the Eagles competed well in what was their first national championship.
More than 10 college teams from around the country were at the event which was streamed on ESPN 2 and on the American Cornhole League website. Students can use their monetary winnings toward their scholarships.
The cornhole team competed in tournaments in Oklahoma and Michigan in order to qualify for the national competition.
National Media Attention Around Winthrop Cornhole
Players Hamann and Remmick, both from the Denver, Colorado, area, were the first two players recruited a year and a half ago to join the inaugural team and are dubbed the teams’ founding fathers. National media outlets extensively covered their signings and their scholarships, which are tied to their academics, not athletics, as a first in the country.
Creating and supporting a cornhole team has made sense to Winthrop Athletics because Rock Hill is the home of the American Cornhole League headquarters. The Rock Hill Sports & Event Center, which routinely hosts regional, national or world championship events, is considered the Eagles home arena.
For more information, contact Thompson at [email protected].
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