Texting championship 2012 winner announced

Austin Weirschke wins the 2012 LG U.S. National Texting Competition in Times Square in New York City.

/ LG Electronics

(CBS News) The fastest texter in America has been named Wednesday at the LG U.S. National Texting Competition.

Last year's champion 16-year-old Austin Wierschke of Queens, NY has reclaimed the top spot, winning $50,000.

Eleven contestants, ranging from 16 to 24 years old, met in Times Square in New York City to face off. The competition tested three skills: speed, accuracy and dexterity.

The contestants had to pass three rounds, including texting while blind-folded, texting with hands behind their backs and Text Blitz, where contestants had to copy phrases as fast as possible.

This is the second year in a row that Weirschke has won the contest. The texting competition was originally launched in 2007 and is sponsored by LG Electronics.

[Nate650]

Which phones were used in the contest?

[OmegaWolf747]

I wonder if LG gives the winners free phones.

[absolutemarc]

Headline: slow news day and awarding mediocrity.