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Ohio college student is best grocery bagger in country

By Jared Leone and Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Brady Long, left, bags groceries at Buehler's Fresh Foods at Forest Meadows in Medina, Ohio. Long has been named the nation's top grocery bagger after claiming the Ohio title two years in a row.(Bob Finnan/Medina County Gazette via AP)

By Jared Leone and Cox Media Group National Content Desk

LAS VEGAS — Ohio’s top grocery bagger for two consecutive years finally took home the gold.

Brady Long, 23, won first prize and $10,000 at the National Grocers Association's Best Bagger championship last Monday at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

"It was very exciting," Long told the Medina Gazette. "This year, I was a lot more confident."

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Contestants are judged on speed of bagging, proper bag-building technique, weight distribution and style.

Long, an accounting student at the University of Akron, beat 23 other baggers from across the country. The national competition started in 1987.

"Baggers and courtesy clerks are often the last impression a customer has of a store, and because of this, superior bagging skills, along with friendly customer service, are critical elements to a positive shopping experience for the consumer," Peter J. Larkin, grocery association president, said in a release. "The Best Bagger competition truly epitomizes the spirit and work ethic of the supermarket industry."

Cox Media Group

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