Community Corner
Seniors From Around Connecticut Come Together To Play Cornhole
Bristol plays host to inaugural Statewide Senior Center Cornhole Tournament.
By Erica Drzewiecki, The Bristol Press
August 10, 2022
Seniors from around Connecticut came together to play cornhole this summer for the first time in Connecticut history.
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The inaugural Statewide Senior Center Cornhole Tournament took place July 19 inside the Bristol Senior Center gymnasium.
Seven teams hailed from Bristol, New Britain, Cromwell, Rocky Hill, New Fairfield, North Branford and Torrington. In total about 75 people participated.
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“It’s been fun; good competition,” Bristol Senior Center Assistant Director Jason Krueger said.
He and Executive Director Patty Tomascak keep in touch with other senior center staff around the state on an online message board. Upon finding out theirs wasn’t the only facility with a cornhole league, they decided to organize a summer tournament.
“There were 12 teams initially interested and then we set a date and a few pulled out,” Tomascak said.
Seniors in Bristol have had spring and fall cornhole leagues for about five years now. They meet Tuesday mornings for regular play and various other times when the gym is open.
A recreational lawn game with teams of two, cornhole involves throwing bean bags at a raised, angled board with a hole on its far end. Points are scored by landing bags in the hole or on the board and typical play is up to 21.
“Some people couldn’t reach down to pick up the bags when they first started and now they can,” Tomascak pointed out. “It’s been healthy for them. They’re loving it.”
Partners Tom Hueller and Nancy LeBlanc of “the Bristol Beanbaggers” are regulars. They made it through to the tournament’s semi-finals, where they came back from an 18-5 deficit to win 21-18 over Lou Presta and Bob Ferreira of Rocky Hill’s Braggin’ and Baggin’ team.
Larry Buckbee and Brian Bernier, also of Rocky Hill, finished in first place, beating LeBlanc and Hueller 21-3 in the final match.
“Winning and losing isn’t very important to us,” Hueller said as the semi-finals began. “We’re having a good time.”
“It’s just a fun, social game,” LeBlanc added. “It gets very addictive.”
Bristol’s Louise St. Hilaire and her partner Howard Achille stayed in for about eight games.
“It’s good exercise,” St. Hilaire said. “And it’s fun socially.”
Erica Drzewiecki can be reached at edrzewiecki@centralctcommunications.com.
