40-year old Melvin Oldaker of Chadron is the 2022 World Championship Buffalo Chip Thrower.
Runner-up in the last 2 competitions, Oldaker won the title Saturday in Chadron during the 46th annual Fur Trade Days celebration by tossing a piece of dried buffalo dung 156’ 2” to win the men’s 18 and Over division and the overall crown.
His throw was about 9-feet better than last year’s winning throw, but well short of the individual record of 186-7 set by Gary Lackey of Detroit Lakes, Minn, in 2000.
The all-time record is 204-feet by Chadron State College track All-American Kail Bowman in 1990 during a since-discontinued team event.
Winning the women’s overall and 18-and-over titles was 21-year old Kenzey Kanno of Morrill at 84-2, topping 18-year old Paityn Homan of Crawford by 11-feet.
61-year old Chadron City Council Member Cheryl Welch won the Dignitaries title, beating 18-year old Miss Fur Trade Days Katelyn Bowers of North Platte – throwing her buffalo chip 49-11 to Bowers 44-even
This year’s Buffalo Chip Throw attracted 93 competitors, down 3 from last year. The biggest age group were 18-plus men and 7-12 boys, each with 21, and 18-plus women with 16
The 2022 Chadron Rotary Club’s World Championship Buffalo Chip Toss
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6 & under (male & female)
1st: Weston Oldaker, 5 years old from Chadron, NE – 39’
2nd: Henry Motz, 6 years old from Chadron, NE – 32’ 6”
3rd: Wyatt Tyler, 6 years old from Camp Pendleton, CA – 24’ 9”
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Female, age 7-12
1st: Bailey Wood, 11 years old from Denver, CO – 56’ 1”
2nd: Aubrey Schledenitz, 12 years old from Hemingford, NE – 41’ 3”
3rd: Lexi Petracek, 11 years old from Lincoln, NE – 45’ 9”
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Male, age 7-12
1st: Kaidin Gonzales, 10 years old from Salt Lake, UT – 84’ 3”
2nd: Jadon Guerra, 12 years old from Alliance, NE – 83’ 6”
3rd: Ty Bridgman, 12 years old from Bayard, NE – 73’ 11”
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Female, age 13-17
1st: Sophie Watson, 13 years old from Chadron, NE – 53’ 4”
2nd: Sofia Center, 14 years old from Sheridan County – 46’ 2”
3rd: McKenna Barney, 15 years old from Ely, NV – 35’
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Male, age 13-17
1st: Taylor Homan, 14 years old from Crawford, NE – 106’
2nd: Preston Flores, 13 years old from Alliance, NE – 75’
3rd: Jackson Wood, 13 years old from Denver, CO – 68’ 8”
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Female, age 18 and Over
1st: Kenzey Kanno, 21 years old from Morrill, NE – 84’ 2”
2nd: Paityn Homan, 18 years old from Crawford, NE – 73’
3rd: Alpine Hickstein, 21 years old from Chadron, NE – 64’ 11”
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Male age 18 and Over
1st: Melvin Oldaker, 40 years old from Chadron, NE – 156’ 2”
2nd: Jesse Bleidt, 26 years old from Lewellen, NE – 123’ 2”
3rd: Oliver Jule, 22 years old from Rapid City, SD – 94’ 9”
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Dignitaries:
1st: Cheryl Welch, 61 years old from Chadron, NE – 49’ 11”
Chadron City Council Member
2nd: Katelyn Bowers, 18 years old from North Platte, NE – 44’
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Total participants
6 & under: 12
F 7-12: 12
M 7-12: 21
F 13-17: 5
M 13-17: 4
F 18+: 16
M 18+: 21
Dignitaries: 2
Total participants: 93