Monday, November 17, 2014
Photo
SPECIAL TO THE VINDICATOR Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers, above, grew the world record top 10 average pumpkins.
Staff report
CANFIELD
Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers rewrote the record books at their Oct. 11 weigh-off. The club’s 20th annual competition took place at Parks Garden Center.
The club’s 10 largest Atlantic Giant pumpkins averaged 1,730.8 pounds for a new world record. This is the seventh time in nine years the Ohio Valley club has won the top 10 average award. This weigh-off was competing with 100 Great Pumpkin Commonwealth events around the world.
Matt Brungard of New Middletown had the largest pumpkin at 1,951 pounds. Finishing second was Mark Clementz of Holly, Mich., at 1,947.5 pounds, a Michigan record. Third was Jerry Rose of Huntsburg, Ohio, at 1,844 pounds. Larry and Gerry Checkon of North Cambria, Pa., were fourth at 1,821.5 pounds, a Pennsylvania record. Bill Neptune of New Concord, Ohio, holds the Ohio record at 2,008.
Rose set the Ohio record for the heaviest jack o’ lantern pumpkin at 167.5 pounds. Clementz has the Michigan record for the longest gourd at 138.5 inches (11.5 feet). Lee Zappa of Sharpsville, Pa., set that state’s record for a sunflower head 28 inches in diameter.
The following world records also were set: Beni Meier of Switzerland has the world record pumpkin at 2,323.7 pounds; Scott Holub of Oregon has the world record green squash at 1,578 pounds; Dan MacCoy of Minnesota grew the world record tomato this year at 8.41 pounds; and John MacKinnon of Nova Scotia grew the world’s largest jack o’ lantern pumpkin at 211 pounds.