College cornhole champ says it 'feels good' to win for NC State

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The best college cornhole player in the country is right here in the Triangle - specifically at NC State.

"You kind of start throwing it, and you just get in a rhythm, and you've just got to keep throwing them," Draven Sneed said.

Sounds simple enough -- and boy, did Sneed ever do that. With a national college cornhole championship on the line in Myrtle Beach, Sneed couldn't miss. It was over almost as soon as it began, as he rolled to a 19-0 lead in the final.

"I did not expect that at all." Sneed said. "You get in that zone and everything just feels right, and you've just got to keep going."

Sneed's rise to national champion has been somewhat meteoric. A junior Business Administration major at State, he's no phenom. In fact, it was futility that first got him really into the game.

"I went and played at a blind draw last year, and just got absolutely wrecked," Sneed said. "They just tore me up, and I was like, I don't want to be this bad anymore. So I just started playing more and more."

It's not a complicated sport. You throw bags at a hole in a slanted board, but there are a million ways to get there.

"It's just, look, there's a whole different aspect of the game out there that I feel like a lot of people who just play at tailgates don't really get," Sneed said. "I mean, there's hundreds of different kinds of bags you can buy."

Sneed almost pulled off a sweep, falling in the finals for doubles. He's now part of NC State lore along with some other non-varsity legends.

"Yeah, we got bass fishing and cornhole locked down," Draven laughed. "I feel like I'm helping the struggle for NC State, helping because we've had a few tough breaks. I mean, it just feels good to win for State. I love State."

By the way, in case you're wondering, Draven is named for the lead character in the 1994 movie "The Crow."