The final results are in, and 70 North Alabamians are headed to the Masters Games of Alabama this fall.
Participants ages 50 and older recently competed at the district level to qualify for the state games, which will be held later this year in Trussville.
Seventy people qualified from Cullman, DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone, Madison, Marshall and Morgan counties. Those counties, along with Lawrence County, which had no participants this year, make up District 2 for the Masters Games of Alabama.
The district includes residents from the Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments (TARCOG) and the North Alabama Regional Council of Governments (NARCOG) regions.
District 2 participants will compete against others from around the state in October in Basketball Free Throw, Cornhole, Table Tennis, Bowling, Billiards, Rook, Nerf Throw, Domino Singles, Domino Doubles, Softball Throw, Frisbee Throw and Shuffleboard.
Staff members from TARCOG, NARCOG and the Councils on Aging from participating counties helped run competitions held throughout June at several locations, including the Athens Rec Center in Athens, the Morgan County Event Center in Somerville, the Jackson County Council on Aging in Scottsboro, STUDIO 60 in Huntsville and Victory Lanes in Scottsboro.
Earnest Lee of Morgan County took home the most wins with nine first-place finishes, sweeping the age 85-89 male division.
Close behind with eight first-place finishes each were Joann Carter of DeKalb County, Roxie Wright and Wilma Shortt of Jackson County, and Regina Emerson of Limestone County.
The top winners were among the participants proving you’re never too old to compete.
The Masters Games of Alabama is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles for active adults ages 50 and older through social, mental and physical activities. The games are similar to the Olympics’ structure. The state games will be held Oct. 5-8 in Trussville.
Ribbon winners and qualifiers from District 2 of the Masters Games of Alabama include:
Cullman County
- Fred Ponder, Cullman, second place, Billiards (age 85-89 category)
- Rick White, Cullman, first place, Basketball Free Throw and Cornhole; second, Softball Throw (age 80-84 category)
DeKalb County
- Brenda Pettry, Geraldine, first place, Softball Throw; second, Cornhole; third, Bowling (age 80-84 category)
- Carmie Pettry, Geraldine, first place, Bowling, Frisbee Throw, Nerf Throw, and Shuffleboard (age 80-84 category)
- Charles L. Simmons, Collinsville, qualified for Bowling (age 85-89 category)
- Christine Ashley, Fort Payne, second place, Domino Doubles, Frisbee Throw, Rook, Shuffleboard, and Table Tennis; third, Basketball Free Throw and Nerf Throw (age 80-84 category)
- Colon Daniel, Fort Payne, first place, Basketball Free Throw, Cornhole, Nerf Throw, Shuffleboard, and Table Tennis; second, Frisbee Throw and Softball Throw (age 70-74 category)
- Connie Green, Fort Payne, first place, Cornhole and Shuffleboard; second, Bowling and Table Tennis; third, Frisbee Throw (age 65-69 category)
- Debbie Busby, Rainsville, second place, Basketball Free Throw; third, Cornhole (age 70-74 category)
- Debbie Daniel, Fort Payne, second place, Nerf Throw and Table Tennis (age 70-74 category)
- Dee Vaughn, Crossville, first place, Rook (age 55-59 category)
- Denise Harris, Sylvania, first place, Bowling and Table Tennis; second, Domino Doubles; third, Shuffleboard and Softball Throw (age 70-74 category)
- Dianne Manning, Collinsville, first place, Basketball Free Throw, Bowling, and Shuffleboard; second, Nerf Throw and Softball Throw; third, Cornhole (age 80-84 category)
- Dorothy Berry, Grove Oak, first place, Domino Doubles and Rook; second, Frisbee Throw and Softball Throw; third, Cornhole, Nerf Throw, and Shuffleboard (age 90+ category)
- W. Shankles, Fyffe, first place, Billiards (age 65-69 category)
- James Manning, Collinsville, first place, Bowling; second, Frisbee Throw, Nerf Throw, and Shuffleboard; third, Cornhole and Softball Throw (age 85-89 category)
- Janet Hood, Henagar, first place, Domino Doubles and Rook; third, Frisbee Throw, Nerf Throw, Shuffleboard, and Softball Throw (age 75-79 category)
- Janine Sims, Fort Payne, first place, Basketball Free Throw, Cornhole, Domino Singles, Nerf Throw, Softball Throw, and Table Tennis; second, Frisbee Throw and Shuffleboard (age 75-79 category)
- Joann Carter, Fort Payne, first place, Basketball Free Throw, Cornhole, Domino Doubles, Domino Singles, Frisbee Throw, Nerf Throw, Shuffleboard, and Softball Throw (age 55-59 category)
- Letha Prater, Fort Payne, first place, Rook and Softball Throw; second, Basketball Free Throw, Cornhole, Domino Doubles, Frisbee Throw, Nerf Throw, Shuffleboard, and Table Tennis; qualified for Bowling (age 60-64 category)
- Patsy Griggs, Fort Payne, first place, Frisbee Throw, Nerf Throw, and Table Tennis; third, Shuffleboard and Softball Throw (age 80-84 category)
- Wanda Henderson, Fort Payne, first place, Basketball Free Throw, Nerf Throw, Rook, and Table Tennis; second, Domino Doubles, Shuffleboard, and Softball Throw; third, Cornhole (age 65-69 category)
- Wayne Henderson, Fort Payne, first place, Cornhole, Frisbee Throw, Nerf Throw, and Shuffleboard; second, Basketball Free Throw; third, Softball Throw (age 75-79 category)
Jackson County
- Barbara Brune, Section, first place, Basketball Free Throw, Cornhole, Domino Doubles, Frisbee Throw, Nerf Throw, and Shuffleboard; second, Domino Singles and Softball Throw; third, Table Tennis (age 60-64 category)
- Eddie Justice, Scottsboro, first place, Table Tennis; second, Domino Singles and Softball Throw; third, Basketball Free Throw, Cornhole, Frisbee Throw, Nerf Throw, and Shuffleboard (age 75-79 category)
- Robert “Bob” Brune, Section, first place, Bowling (age 60-64 category)
- Roxie Wright, Scottsboro, first place, Basketball Free Throw, Cornhole, Domino Singles, Frisbee Throw, Nerf Throw, Rook, Shuffleboard, and Softball Throw; second, Domino Doubles (age 90+ category)
- Sheila Gifford, Scottsboro, first place, Table Tennis (age 60-64 category)
- Wilma Shortt, Scottsboro, first place, Basketball Free Throw, Cornhole, Domino Singles, Frisbee Throw, Nerf Throw, Rook, Shuffleboard, and Softball Throw; second, Domino Doubles (age 85-89 category)
Limestone County
- Alton Downs, Athens, second place, Domino Singles and Table Tennis; third, Softball Throw (age 70-74 category)
- Babette Powe, Tanner, first place, Domino Singles and Softball Throw; second, Cornhole, Frisbee Throw, and Rook; third, Nerf Throw and Shuffleboard (age 65-69 category)
- Betty Bolton, Athens, second place, Rook (age 85-89 category)
- Charles “Buddy” Brymer, Athens, second place, Billiards (age 70-74 category)
- Claude Marks, Athens, second place, Basketball Free Throw, Cornhole, Rook, and Softball Throw (age 85-89 category)
- Debra Collins, Athens, first place, Billiards, Domino Doubles, Frisbee Throw, and Table Tennis; second, Nerf Throw; third, Softball Throw (age 65-69 category)
- Dwight Hill, Athens, first place, Rook and Softball Throw; second, Cornhole (age 75-79 category)
- Faye Sangerman, Athens, first place, Billiards, Frisbee Throw, and Shuffleboard; second, Basketball Free Throw, Domino Singles, Nerf Throw, and Table Tennis; third, Cornhole (age 75-79 category)
- Jeff Gordon, Athens, first place, Domino Singles; second, Domino Doubles and Rook (age 70-74 category)
- Lawrence Benford, Athens, first place, Domino Doubles (age 65-69 category)
- Lillian Adell, Tanner, second place, Rook (age 80-84 category)
- Linda Black, Athens, first place, Table Tennis; second, Billiards, Cornhole, and Softball Throw; third, Basketball Free Throw (age 75-79 category)
- Mary Shoulders, Tanner, second place, Cornhole, Domino Singles, and Rook (age 85-89 category)
- Patricia Southard, Tanner, third place, Billiards (age 70-74 category)
- Paul Irons, Athens, first place, Domino Doubles and Domino Singles (age 90+ category)
- Raymond Kidd, Madison, first place, Table Tennis; third, Basketball Free Throw (age 70-74 category)
- Regina Emerson, Elkmont, first place, Basketball Free Throw, Billiards, Domino Doubles, Frisbee Throw, Nerf Throw, Rook, Shuffleboard, and Softball Throw; second, Bowling, Cornhole, and Domino Singles (age 70-74 category)
- Roger Bedingfield, Athens, first place, Basketball Free Throw, Domino Doubles, Domino Singles, and Table Tennis; second, Billiards, Frisbee Throw, Nerf Throw, and Shuffleboard (age 75-79 category)
- Sandra Coffman, Tanner, second place, Shuffleboard and Table Tennis; third, Frisbee Throw (age 70-74 category)
- Susan Crittenden, Athens, first place, Domino Doubles and Domino Singles (age 60-64 category)
- Teresa Suit, Athens, second place, Table Tennis (age 65-69 category)
- Willie Mae Baker, Tanner, first place, Billiards, Cornhole, and Domino Singles; third, Frisbee Throw (age 80-84 category)
Madison County
- Annette Jiles, Madison, first place, Bowling; second, Basketball Free Throw, Billiards, and Domino Singles (age 65-69 category)
- Austin Baker, Huntsville, first place, Billiards (age 75-79 category)
- Bill Cooley, Huntsville, first place, Billiards, Cornhole, Frisbee Throw, and Softball Throw; second, Basketball Free Throw, Nerf Throw, Shuffleboard, and Table Tennis (age 70-74 category)
- Donnie Higgins, Huntsville, second place, Bowling and Cornhole; third, Basketball Free Throw (age 80-84 category)
- Emmitt Davis, Madison, first place, Basketball Free Throw and Softball Throw (age 60-64 category)
- Eunice Jett-Day, Madison, first place, Table Tennis; third, Nerf Throw (age 70-74 category)
- Eva Douglass, Madison, first place, Cornhole and Domino Singles; second, Billiards, Frisbee Throw, and Softball Throw; third, Basketball Free Throw (age 70-74 category)
- Frazier Douglass, Madison, first place, Billiards and Domino Singles; second, Frisbee Throw, Nerf Throw, and Shuffleboard; third, Softball Throw (age 80-84 category)
- Johnny Smith, Hazel Green, first place, Cornhole; second, Domino Doubles and Rook; third, Shuffleboard (age 70-74 category)
- Lien K. Vu, Madison, third place, Table Tennis (age 65-69 category)
- Wanda Higgins, Huntsville, second place, Basketball Free Throw and Bowling (age 80-84 category)
Marshall County
- Thomas Rains, Albertville, first place, Softball Throw; second, Basketball Free Throw; third, Cornhole (age 80-84 category)
Morgan County
- Buster Hill, Danville, first place, Basketball Free Throw, Cornhole, Rook, and Softball Throw (age 65-69 category)
- Dean W. Couch, Hartselle, first place, Rook (age 65-69 category)
- Earnest Lee, Hartselle, first place, Basketball Free Throw, Billiards, Cornhole, Domino Doubles, Domino Singles, Frisbee Throw, Nerf Throw, Shuffleboard, and Softball Throw (age 85-89 category)
- Jean Porter, Decatur, first place, Domino Doubles and Rook (age 80-84 category)
- Joyce B. Smith, Decatur, first place, Rook (age 55-59 category)
- Judy Little, Decatur, first place, Domino Doubles and Rook; second, Domino Singles (age 80-84 category)
- Sarah “Alice” Miller, Lacey’s Spring, first place, Domino Doubles; second, Basketball Free Throw, Cornhole, Domino Singles, Nerf Throw, and Shuffleboard; third, Frisbee Throw and Softball Throw (age 90+ category)
Congratulations to all of the winners and best of luck in October!
