Speed, Technique Sack State Title for Villa Park Bagger

In less than a minute Saturday, it was decided: the best bagger in business was James Bayly.

With quick hands and an eye on the squishable items, the 18-year-old grocery bagger from Ralphs in Villa Park beat out nine finalists to win the California State Grocers Assn.’s Bag-Off Contest at the Anaheim Convention Center.

“I guess I had the lowest time and the best bags,” said Bayly, who was judged on both the speed and quality of his bagging of such items as cereal, potato chips, sugar and salad dressing.

Bayly, a Cal State Fullerton student from Orange, made the final round Friday by bagging 44 items in one minute and 21 seconds. Saturday he chopped nearly half a minute off that time to beat out 17 other state finalists.

Bayly said he thought he had lost it when he realized that the judges had mixed up the groceries to be packed from how he understood they would be arranged. But he quickly recovered, spurred on by an estimated 40 to 50 of his fellow employees from Ralphs who crowded around the stage yelling “Faster, faster! Use two hands!”

Bayly’s winning form earned him a $1,000 scholarship and a trip to the nationals in Las Vegas in February. He intends to bank the money or spend it on college.