Dwight locals take home silver in National Junior Cornhole Championship

DWIGHT – Two teens in Dwight are the second-best Junior cornhole team in the country after competing in the 2022 USA National Junior Cornhole Championship.

Tyler Cox and Terry Wilkey, both 16, were the silver medal recipients in the competition held in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Aug. 4 and 6. The cousins played on ESPN2, in a nationally televised event.

“We knew there would be some pretty good people but, it felt great to play and we were pretty excited to get silver,” Wilkey said.

“We just shot how we normally do, and it worked out for us, which was pretty exciting,” Cox said.

The cousins, both juniors at Dwight High School, were completely unknown in competitive cornhole, a rapidly rising sport in the nation.

Most people are aware of cornhole through its humble beginnings at tailgates, barbecues and family reunions. Now, the beanbag game is being played at in tournaments and competitive leagues are popping up all over the county.

The American Cornhole League was founded in 2015 and is the second governing body in the country to emerge for the sport of cornhole. It sets rules and standards for the bags and boards used in competitive play.

According to its website, the bags are required to be 6-square inches filled with about a pound of plastic resin beads. The bags are tossed 27 feet at a slanted two-by-four board with a six-inch round hole near the top.

The two qualified at nationals in Chicago, in which only the top 24% qualify to continue on to the world championship.

The pair have been playing with family since they were 10. They usually play in the backyard with family, but did not begin playing competitively until this year.

“We try to schedule a practice everyday for a few hours – we probably practice two to four hours a day now,” Wilkey said.

The pair have a similar tossing style, but build off one another to perfect their game. Wilkey normally goes “straight in” while Cox normally leans toward a “block and push.”

“It’s pretty important for partners to have a similar style and play of each other,” Cox said.

Both hope to play professionally one day. Only eight junior players have the chance to go pro, the others have to be adults.

“I really want to get sponsored and be able to take the steps to go pro with Tyler,” Wiley said.