Cups were flying at Sport Stacking Tournament at Girls Inc.

When it comes to sport stacking, there are times when 11-year-old Alona Brown of Columbus can’t stay away from a stack of cups.

“I started kind of going slow, but now I’m going faster and faster,” Alona said Saturday. “I’m now beating my world records and more than I have before.”

As a member of the Girls Inc. of Columbus Sport Stacking Team, Alona joined about 30 competitors Saturday as Girls Inc. Baker Center hosted the region’s only World Sport Stacking Association sanctioned Open Sport Stacking Tournament which qualifies the best stackers for the 2017 AAU Junior Olympics .

Leann Malone, executive director of Girls Inc., said the tournament gives girls the opportunity to meet others from around the state and the world. “It’s also a way for them to learn grace in the face of winning or losing,” she said. “That’s an important life skill for anyone.”

Using coordinated hands and eyes, sport stacking is an individual and team sport that involves stacking cups in a specific manner. “In sport stacking, hand and eye coordination are critical,” Malone said.

Alona has been involved in the sport for four years. She now competes in the 11-12 year old division. She hones her skill by practicing at home.

Among the competitors were William Orrell, who is a world-record holder in five events. The 17-year-old high school senior started stacking at age 8 during physical education class. “I liked it and started practicing until I was at the top,” he said during a break. “My first world record was in 2012. Since then, I have a record every year.”

William, of Clemmons, N.C., shared a few qualities that make a top stacker. “You need patience, because it takes years and years to become proficient,” he said. “You also need a lot of determination. You’ve got to really want it.”

And when the pressure is on during a tournament, William said you have to stay calm. “You’ve got to go under pressure and got to learn to calm yourself down to stack your best,” he said.

With almost 10 years of competition, William said he didn’t think he would still be around with his 18th birthday just days away. “I didn’t think I would last that long,” he said. “I didn’t see the end from the beginning.”

This story was originally published January 7, 2017 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Cups were flying at Sport Stacking Tournament at Girls Inc.."