Mary Godleski, Associated Press Carly Miller shoots her way to victory during the final round of the 81st annual National Marbles Tournament. Click photo for larger image.

WILDWOOD, N.J. -- On the marbles court, 12-year-old Carly Miller was all business. But when it came time to seal her victory with a kiss, she was a reluctant queen.

A red velvet crown on her head, a medal around her neck, she sat on her throne at the 81st National Marbles Tournament on yesterday, scowling like a patient in a dentist's chair.

Miller, of Pittsburgh, had just been crowned queen of the marble world after her 8-6 victory over Amy Nees of Palisade, Colo. She was crowned, showered with gifts and cheered by a sun-baked crowd of "mibsters," family members and onlookers.

Now, came the hard part. In keeping with tradition, Miller had to kiss her "king," -- newly-crowned boys division winner Aaron Nees, 13.

"Kiss him!" the crowd yelled.

"No, no," said Miller. "No! I won't!"

Then, she stuck out her right hand at Nees. He shook it.

	Mary Godleski, Associated Press Marbles Queen Carly Miller recoils as Marbles King Aaron Nees tries to plant a kiss on her cheek during the traditional victory celebration following their wins at the 81st annual National Marbles Tournament. Click photo for larger image.

"If she says no, remember, no means no," said Marbles Tournament committee member Matt Corley. "I guess we have a new tradition, and it's just a handshake."

The National Marbles Tournament is nothing if not traditional.

The event, held annually on the beach in this southern New Jersey resort, draws children ages 7 to 14 from marble hotbeds like Cumberland, Md., Clarksburg, W.Va., and Clay County, Tenn., for a four-day celebration of this very old-fashioned sport.

Playing on concrete pads built right into the beach, the children play a game called "ringer," in which they kneel down, lay the back of their shooting hand onto the concrete and take a marble between thumb and index finger, firing it at an object marble, hoping to knock it out of the ring.

If the shooter marble stays in the ring, the player shoots again. If not, it's the other player's turn. The first player to knock out seven of 13 marbles wins the game.

Miller, a seventh-grader who took up the game at age 6, was hoping to avenge her loss in the finals of the 2002 tournament. Playing in pigtails, braces and bare feet, she turned in a near-perfect performance to beat out 27 other girls.

Nees, meanwhile, got his chance after watching his sister lose to Miller.

Squaring off against Scott Melick, 13, of Pittsburgh, Nees won 8-3. Thirty-one players competed in the boys division.

"He's a very determined kid," said his father, Dan Nees, 47, hugging his disappointed daughter as he talked about his son. "He came to me one day when he was 8 and said, 'I want to go to the national championships.' I said, 'Sure, go ahead.' Well, he did what he wanted to do," Dan Nees said.

Soon, the two were up on a small stage for the awards ceremony, in front of a National Marbles Tournament banner, surrounded by organizers and Wildwood officials, the crowd standing in the sand watching.

Each won a $2,000 college scholarship, a plaque, a 3-foot-tall trophy, a National Marbles Tournament wristwatch, an Olympic-style gold medal and a $50 gift certificate to a Boardwalk gift shop.

When Corley told them to kiss, though, Miller leaned away from him before eventually shaking his hand.

"She's stubborn," said her mother, Janice Miller. "She always said, 'Mom, if I win it, I'm not kissing anyone.'"

So the organizers went about their business, making announcements and handing out trophies to other participants. But the crowd wanted the kiss.

"Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss," they shouted.

Now standing on the stage, Nees leaned over toward Miller and kissed her on the cheek. The crowd cheered.

She grimaced.

"I think she had a change of heart," said tournament president Beri Fox.