This year they stole the prize again. A team of four Selmians pulled their skills and abilities together to find Gilda Gator’s golden egg — a prize set out by The Selma Times-Journal each year for the team or individual that follows clues all the way to a $1,000 cash prize.

Jason Herron, Wesley Kelly, Dallas Prescott and Chuck Oates took the egg this year after collecting clues from eight different local business locations each week and cracking the riddles — to which they said they spent most of their time searching their meanings on the web. The group took the prize last year as well.

“We sat at the computer the entire time,” Prescott said who claims he will use his portion of the prize money for new dirt bike racing boots. Prescott admitted the competition was “a lot more work,” having to go to the local businesses to pick up clues. He said the group used their cell phones to communicate constantly while searching for the egg.

Chuck Oates told the Times-Journal he found the egg near an old telephone pole on Corley Street. The final clue pointed participants in the direction of a street bearing former Alabama Governor George Wallace’s middle name — Corley.

Oates, Kelly and Herron said they race cars and will use their prize money for their hobby.

“We will be buying some new parts for the race car,” Oates said and added the group would compete again next year, “if they will have us.”

Times-Journal advertising coordinator Tina Yelverton said the annual hunt is something that keeps readers on their toes.

“It seems that the readers have really enjoyed this and almost every year they call us at least a month ahead of time wanting to know when it starts,” Yelverton said. “It’s a possibility we may do an elf hunt to help find Santa Clause this Christmas.”