NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University student Cannon Hatcher is not only a champion in the sport of cornhole. He is now considered royalty.
Hatcher was recently named “King of Cornhole” after winning the World Singles title at the American Cornhole Organization World Championships in Owensboro, Kentucky. Hatcher, a computer information systems major from Goldonna, was ranked number 1,027 in the world standings going into the championships but kept winning and advancing before claiming the title.
“It was an interesting experience,” said Hatcher. “I was so locked into the game that whenever it was over I felt like I had another game ready to play. Though once the moment set in, it was awesome to see my success of over the week.”
Cornhole is a popular lawn game and competitive sport where players take turns throwing fabric bean bags at an inclined wooden board to hit the target or go through the hole. Wooden boards are placed 27 feet apart with bags landing on the board scoring one point and three points if it goes in the hole.
Hatcher has played competitively for almost six years
“I’ve participated in major competitions since I started but didn’t find any success until after about one to two years of consistent playing and practice,” said Hatcher.
NSU has created a cornhole club team to give students the opportunity to play, compete, and earn a scholarship after competing in the collegiate nationals. Hatcher is the team’s president.
“People prefer the sport of cornhole over other sports due to the camaraderie and sportsmanship that many of the players have,” said Hatcher. “The social aspect of the game is what keeps it enjoyable.”
Information on NSU’s cornhole team is available at https://www.instagram.com/nsulacornhole/. To learn about any of the 12 club sports at Northwestern go to https://www.nsula.edu/wellness-and-recreation/wrac/.