Lambright Wins Husking Contest
Published: Friday, October 13, 2023
Kevin Lambright of Hudson was the top participant in last Saturday's Indiana State Cornhusking Contest, held at the Reed Farm in Nappanee.
Conditions were not favorable for husking corn, as light rain fell throughout the day. Yet participants were motivated to do their best. The top three from each division qualified for the chance to husk at the national contest on Oct. 22 in Greenville, Ohio.
Competing in the men's open division, Lambright husked 350.6 pounds in 20 minutes. Ted Richard of Rochester finished second with a tally of 326.45 pounds, and Mike Geyer of Bremen was third with 240.31 pounds.
Lane Eckrote of Macy led the way in the young men's division, tossing in 286.7 pounds in 20 minutes. Andrew Burns of Brookville, Ind. was second with 278.51 pounds, and Justin Schwartz of Nappanee came in third with 212.50 pounds.
Mervin Bontrager of Nappanee was the winner in the men's senior division with an effort of 317.63 pounds. Rolland Miller of Plymouth captured second place with a score of 256.5 pounds. In third place was Ernest Wagler of Syracuse. He husked 243.4 pounds.
There was one out-of-state competitor, David Shafer of Henderson, Mich. He husked 214.71 pounds in the men's open division.
Just two people competed in the women's open division. Shaylee Kelly of Rochester captured top honors with a tally of 234.4 in 20 minutes, followed by Darlene Bender of Wolcottville with 132.17 pounds.
Four individuals competed in the young women's division. Cretie Eckrote of Indianapolis husked 131.3 pounds of corn in 20 minutes to win first place. Jackie Apenhorst of Macy finished second with 164.3 pounds, and Jennifer Edwards of Sullivan placed third with 118.6 pounds. Bailey Burt of Wakarusa was fourth with 52 pounds.
With 116 pounds husked, LuAnn Ambriole of Roanoke paced the field in the women's senior division. Paula Lawmaster of Plymouth captured second place with an effort of 100.42. In third place was Trina Oshman of Topeka. She husked 57 pounds.
In the men's "Golden Agers" division, Wayne Rough of Walkerton led the way with a score of 87.38 pounds in 10 minutes. Other top scorers were: Jerry Calloway, Macy, 69 pounds, second place; and Richard Bartmess, LaPorte, 62 pounds, third place.
Janice Hurford of Plymouth led the way in the women's "Golden Agers" division. She husked 61 pounds of corn in 10 minutes. Phyllis Calloway of Macy earned second place with a tally of 60.86 pounds, and Barb Amiss of North Manchester was third with 36.81 pounds.
Among boys aged 15-20, Gage Richard of Rochester paced the field with a score of 129 pounds. He was followed by Marshall Finke of Kewanna, second place with 125.5 pounds, and Kane Finke of Kewanna, third place with 93.12 pounds.
Jack Jongkind of South Bend husked 107 pounds to lead boys aged 10-14. Dylan Burns of Brookville was second with a score of 40.44 pounds. Third place belonged to Asher Edwards of Sullivan with 22 pounds.
With a score of 37 pounds, Philip Schwartz of Nappanee led the way among boys 9 and under. Jacob Edwards of Sullivan was next with 33 pounds, and Grant Geyer of Bremen placed third with 32 pounds.
Among girls aged 15-20, the top score came from Cora Burns of Macy, who tossed in 90.21 pounds. Cheyenne Hawley of Plymouth was second with 52.7 pounds.
Annika Jongkind of South Bend won the contest for girls 10-14 years of age. She husked 59 pounds of corn. In second place was Braxtyn Wagner of Union Mills. She husked 42.36 pounds. The third-place contestant was Sabrya Hawley of Plymouth with 32.67 pounds.
Brianna Miller of Nappanee husked 36 pounds to win the girls 9 and under contest. In second place was Charlie Triplet of South Bend with 28 pounds. Aubrey Miller of Nappanee finished third with 25 pounds.
In team competition, the Eckrote-Finke team of Macy placed first with a score of 264 pounds. In second place was the Michiana Team from Plymouth with 243 pounds. The Rip and Tossers of Nappanee came in third with a tally of 159 pounds.
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