Beth Rose, TJ Freije win 2016 NAA International Auctioneer Championship

Both will serve as NAA ambassadors for the next 12 months.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (July 22, 2016) – Emerging from an overall field of 94 competitors, Beth Rose, of Maumee, Ohio, and TJ Freije, of Clayton, Indiana, were crowned as winners of the women’s and men’s National Auctioneers Association 29th International Auctioneer Championship, which took place Friday at the DeVos Place Convention Center. Both Rose, CAI, AARE, and Freije, CAI, received a $5,000 cash award, trophy and championship ring for their winning efforts through the preliminary bid-calling round, an interview round consisting of three questions, and a final round of bid-calling that included the top 15 men and seven women. In the two divisions, 74 men and 20 women competed for the right to be known as one of the best auction professionals in the world. Freije had competed in the IAC every year since 2006. He is a third-generation auction professional and won the Indiana state bid-calling championship in 2005. He topped a fiercely competitive overall men’s field and finals group, coming in ahead of runner-up Dustin Rogers, CAI, of Mount Airy, North Carolina, who finished second for the second year in a row and fourth time overall. After turning 21 just last week, 2014 International Junior Auctioneer Championship winner Justin Croy, of Culver, Indiana, finished third. This was the seventh attempt for Rose at winning IAC, with the 20-year NAA member breaking through in the same year that saw her business – Beth Rose Real Estate and Auctions – take Auction Marketing Campaign of the Year in the annual NAA marketing competition. She is a 2000 graduate of the Certified Auctioneers Institute and past recipient of the Rose Award – named after her late father, David Rose. Rose’s daughter, Sarah Rose Bytnar, CAI, AARE, of Naples, Florida, finished runner-up by one-tenth of one pont. Chantel Kimball, CAI, of Eltopia, Washington , took second runner-up. Earlier in the evening, Brooke Gillespie, of Graceville, Minnesota, was crowned as winner of the 2016 International Junior Auctioneer Championship, which features competitors ages 12-18 helps cultivate the next generation of auction professional talent. Also during the IAC competition, which was streamed live throughout the day through auctioneers.org, the Chuck Cumberlin Sp ortsmanship award, awarded to the IAC competitor who shows the best sportsmanship, was given to Myers Jackson, CAI, AARE, ATS, CES, of Jacksonville, Florida. The Bob Steffes Rising Star Award, given to a competitor who shows the potential to win a future IAC title, was given to Jake Yoder, of Port Royal, Pennsylvania. Both the IAC and IJAC were conducted as part of the NAA’s 67th Annual International Auctioneers Conference and Show, which took place in Grand Rapids this past week. IAC contestants must be 18 years of age or older, a current NAA member, and registered for conference. Seven judges score the contest, with final scores determined by combining the interview score (40 percent of the total) and the bid-calling score (60 percent of the total). http://www.auctioneers.org/