Cherry pit spit champ reigns anew

The Krause family can retain its bragging rights, but its claim to be a cherry-pit-spitting dynasty may be under siege by a 17-year-old girl.

Rick "Pellet Gun" Krause repeated as winner of the International Cherry Spitting Championship, held Saturday at the Tree-Mendus Fruit cherry orchard in Michigan, with a spit of 58 feet, 1 1/2 inches.

But Krause, 58, needed all three attempts in the championship round to outdistance upstart Amanda Jennings, who finished second in the otherwise all-male championship event with 52 feet, 5 1/2 inches.

Jennings, of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, used her determination and focused spitting form to win the women's division after edging out five-time women's champion Maureen Krause, Rick's wife, with a spit of 47 feet, 6 1/2 inches.

Jennings, a student and part-time cashier, had competed in previous year's events but had never won and was not considered by organizers of the 34th annual event as a likely title contender.

Six-time winner Brian "Young Gun" Krause, Rick's son, took third place with a spit of 49 feet, 6 1/2 inches. The 29-year-old from Dimondale holds the Guinness World Record after spitting a pit 93 feet, 6 1/2 inches in 2003.

Rick Krause, of Tuba City, Ariz., has won 14 international championships and also won last year's event with a winning spit of 67 feet, 5 inches.

The pit spit marks the beginning of the southwest Michigan tart cherry harvest, organizers said.

"The contest is a global demonstration that healthy eating, deep breathing and physical exercise can be accomplished simultaneously, in public, with only a minimal loss of dignity," organizer Herb Teichman said in a statement.

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On the Net:

Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm, http://www.tree-mendus.com/