Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Illinois’ first Best Bagger competition at the Illinois State Fair is over, with a teenager from the Quad Cities putting the championship in the bag.

Carlos Sabino, 17, who works at HyVee in Rock Island, won $500 and a trip to a national competition in Las Vegas. The competition took speed, precision, and weight distribution into consideration. Sabino was one of twelve contestants. After his victory, he said he tries to bag as fast as possible while he’s at work, because “the checkers are really fast.” He said he qualified as the entrant from the Quad Cities.

“We’re always looking for different ways to highlight the careers in the retail industry,” said Rob Karr, president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, which sponsored the contest. “I started out as a bagger when I just turned sixteen. I put myself through college that way, so I have got a little bit of insight into what folks like Carlos do.”