Cornhusker State Games begin Friday

16 Athletes Competing in Five Events to Represent the Community

Last year at the 2011 Cornhusker State Games, 20 area athletes headed to Lincoln to represent Thayer County in the state’s biggest amateur sporting event of the summer. Of those, 14 brought home top medals in their respective fields. The venue was extremely warm during the ten-day competition, but contestants managed to turn in some fine performances. Athletes competed in armwrestling, bowling and track.

This year, with the opening ceremonies slated for Friday, July 20, 16  athletes will represent this county in the 28th Cornhusker State Games.

The Torch Run, which is sponsored by the Nebraska National Guard and the Nebraska Air National Guard, serves as the Games’ largest promotion during the month of June. Although no one from Thayer County participated in the run,  over 1,000 runners annually move the torch along its course from the Wyoming border to Lincoln.

Thayer County contestants will compete in five sporting events including bowling, Energy K, Energy Walk, golf, and track and field. Represented communities include Belvidere (2), Chester (2), and Deshler (12).

The Cornhusker State Games, which runs July 20-29 with opening ceremonies slated for the evening of July 20, is on pace to top 12,000 athletes.

According to the Cornhusker State Games website, there were 11.511 participants in the Games last year – 62 percent male, 38 percent female. Teams (619 total) made up 43 percent of the Games while 57 percent competed individually. The average age of all participants was 26 years; a five-month-old was the youngest and 87-year-old, the oldest.

If you know anyone from Thayer County who is registered under a team name or different county or who isn’t listed in the online event schedule at the CSG site, call the Hebron Journal-Register and let us know. We’ll be sure to recognize anyone’s efforts from our 11-community county.  

For more information visit CornhuskerStateGames.com.