Louie Lee proved himself the dominant male player in his sport, crushing his opponent in a national championship match on Thursday in New Jersey.
Lee, of Mesa, Colorado, is 11 years old and he shoots marbles. He shoots them so well that he scored five “sticks” — think of a tennis player serving and slamming four aces in a row — to beat Zayd Hadjali, 14, of Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, by a score of 8-2 in the best-of-15 series.
With the win, Lee was dubbed “king” of the 93rd National Marbles Championship. He took his place on a wooden throne next to “queen” Haley Grenesko, 13, of Pittsburgh, who beat Lauren Shuty, 12, also of western Pennsylvania, 8-5.
Each had a white-and-gold fabric crown in place and the crowd of 200 counted down to the traditional kiss. A red-faced Lee kept his head down, then snaked his lips to Grenesko’s cheek not once, but three times, as the crowd demanded. He then pulled the fabric down to his chin, hiding his face.
All joking aside, this is serious business: Both winners took home US$2,000 college scholarships.
About 50 “mibsters” aged eight to 14 played more than 1,200 games during the four-day tournament, which has been held in the New Jersey shore town of Wildwood for decades.
Playing games with marbles is an ancient practice — some were found in the ruins of the ancient Roman town of Pompeii. Organizers say it is a great sport, as the costs to play are low and it is open to those who are not natural athletes.
“It is a great family sport and it builds good values. It really does,” said Beri Fox, president of the non-profit organization National Marbles Tournament. “We have great kids.”
There are marble-playing hotspots, specifically Colorado and Pennsylvania. Maryland also has a strong presence on the national scene. There are also local dynasties. Lee’s grandfather and mother are coaches, who claim at least six recent champions. Lee’s older sister finished in the semi-finals in her division.
Grenesko got her start when she befriended a former national champion, who encouraged her to try it.
“I am so happy, I kinda want to cry again,” Grenesko said. “My goal was to make the top eight.”
The game played during the championship is called “Ringer.” It begins with 13 marbles — also known as “mibs” — placed in a cross-shape in the center of a 10-foot (3m) diameter circular ring. The first person who shoots seven marbles outside of the ring wins.
Like every sport, there are ways to get ahead, and a lot of it comes down to spin. If a player knocks a marble from the circle while keeping their shooter in the ring, they shoot again. That means the first player can win without the second player ever shooting. That is called a “stick.”
The championship is usually played outside on platforms on the beach, but threatening weather brought it inside to the Wildwoods Convention Center. Whereas outdoor games are boisterous, there was a hushed quality this year. Even the play-by-play announcer adopted a slow, whispery manner of speaking usually heard during a golf match.
“This is game marble,” he would whisper as a player aimed to shoot a seventh marble from the ring.
When Lee clinched his championship, he gave Hadjali a quick hug. Lee’s head did not even reach Hadjali’s shoulders.
Leah Lee, Louie Lee’s mother and coach, said her son began crawling around rings before he could walk. He was shooting marbles at three years old and played in his first tournament when he was five years old.
“I knew he was going to do this,” Leah Lee said.
Louie Lee was a little more reticent after the tournament.
“I am embarrassed,” he said. “I had to kiss a girl three times and the third time, they made me hold it for three seconds.”
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