News

July 12, 2010

Lincoln—Cornhusker State Games Athletes of the Year for 2010 include 25-year table tennis medalist Sylvana Airan of Lincoln, retired Army officer Paul Schmitz also of Lincoln, who won eight medals in four different sports, and three-time high school state wrestling champion Zach Cottle of Fort Calhoun.

The three were nominated by sport directors from among more than 10,400 athletes who competed in the 26th annual amateur sports festival held in and around Lincoln in June.

Cottle, who competed in high school at Omaha Skutt, earned his 10th straight CSG Iron Man Wrestling Award with a 14-0, five gold-medal performance. His career total includes 38 gold medals and seven silver medals. In high school, his team won state championships each of his four years, and Cottle won three state individual titles. After this summer, Cottle heads to West Point to study, train and wrestle for the United States Military Academy.

Airan, who won two golds and a bronze this year, has earned at least one medal in each of the 25 years table tennis has been part of the Cornhusker State Games.  The 56 year-old is also a key volunteer for the table tennis event and well-known for her good sportsmanship.

Schmitz, 63, won gold medals in the 800-meter run, the 1,000-meter open-water swim and the 750-meter open water swim.  He earned silver in the 400-meter run, the 1,500-meter run, high jump and biathlon, and took bronze in the 50-meter backstroke at the pool meet.  A Vietnam veteran and 22-year Army Officer, Schmitz said he competed to set an example for his kids and to qualify for the 2011 State Games of America in San Diego.

Games officials also announced that 10 year-old Lincoln basketball player Alex Aldana was the winner of the CSG Grand Drawing Prize, a free year lease on a Mazda5 mini-van from Anderson Auto Group.  Aldana and two other finalists chose keys at the Opening Ceremonies June 25, with only Aldana’s starting the prize vehicle.

Overall, the Games attracted 10,471 athletes from 83 Nebraska Counties.  The largest sport was volleyball with 991 participants.  The youngest participants were five month-old Lincoln twins Gabriel and Jeremiah White, and the oldest was 92 year-old Clarence Osborn also of Lincoln. 

Competition in adult skeet shooting is yet to be held, and will take place July 18, with trapshooting for adults to follow on July 24.  Next year’s Cornhusker State Games will be held July 15-24, with the Opening Ceremonies taking place July 15.

The Cornhusker State Games is conducted by the Nebraska Sports Council.  Upcoming NSC events include the USA Swimming Central Zone Championships Aug. 5-8 at Woods Pool in Lincoln, the Ultra Mud Run on Aug. 28 at Lancaster Events Center in Lincoln and the Pumpkin Run for kids grades K-6 on October 2 at Pioneers Park in Lincoln.

Nebraska Sports Council platinum partners include Anderson Auto Group, BlueCross BlueShield of Nebraska and BNSF Railways. 

Gold partners include Arby’s, BizCo, Double Eagle Beverage, Downtown Optimist Club of Lincoln, Farmers Mutual, Huskers Illustrated, KOLN-KGIN, Lincoln Benefit Life, Lincoln Journal Star, Midwest Office Automations, Mr. Goodcents Subs & Pasta, Nebraska Air National Guard and Army National Guard, Nebraska Lottery, Sandhills Publishing, SignCo, St. Elizabeth Regional Medical Center, Subway, Three Eagles Communications and Yellow Book.

Silver partners include Frito Lay, Gallup, Great Western Bank, Hy-Vee, Kidwell, Lincoln Convention & Visitors Bureau, Lincoln Orthopaedic Center, Lincoln Saltdogs, Nebraska Public Power District, Nebraska State College System, Pepsi-Cola of Lincoln, ScreenCo and Tobacco Free Nebraska.

Bronze partners include Allied Insurance, Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., Applebee’s, Bison, Inc., Borsheim’s, Casey’s, Chief Industries, ConAgra Foods, Concordia University, Cornerstone Printing, Country Inn & Suites, Gate Park Apartments, Holiday Inn Downtown, Max Muscle, Molex, Nebraska Beef Council, Nebraska Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine, Nebraska Home Improvement Center, Nebraska Sheriffs Association, Planet Earth Distilled Drinking Water, Roberts Dairy, Runza, Scheels, Snap Fitness, Sowers Club, U-Stop, Unico Group and Valentino’s.