State Games Of America Overview
State Games of America Web Site: http://www.thesportscorp.org
The State Games of America is the premier, national multi-sport event for athletes of all ages and abilities held every biennium. Medal winners from 49 State Games nationwide earn the right to compete against other winners and match their skills and competitive desire in a national arena.
Organized and managed by the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, the 2007 State Games of Americ a will be combined with Colorado’s Rocky Mountain State Games and will be held August 2-5 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Some 10,000 athletes are expected to participate in the SGA with competition taking place in multiple sports. The list of sports offered will be announced in January 2006. In 2005, 24 sports were offered.
In order to qualify for the State Games of America, participants must have won a gold, silver or bronze medal in their local Summer State Games in a qualifying year (2005 or 2006 Summer, 2006 or 2007 Winter), won a medal in the 2005 State Games of America or be residents of Colorado for at least 30 days prior to competition. College students, U.S. military personnel and their families who are stationed in Colorado, are also eligible to participate.
The primary venue for the State Games of America will be the United States Air Force Academy with competition also taking place at Fort Carson, Phil Long Expo Center, Cheyenne Mountain Resort and other venues in Colorado Springs, Denver, Monument and Pueblo.
The State Games of America of America has previously been held in St. Louis, Missouri (1999, 2001), Hartford, Connecticut (2003), and Colorado Springs (2005).
Minnesota SGA medalists
The 2007 State Games of America was held August 2-5 in Colorado Springs, and by all accounts it was a great success. Nearly 11,000 athletes participated, a record. Minnesota athletes were well represented on the medal podium. Congratulations to the following Minnesota SGA medalists:
Katrina Bjorkstrand, New Ulm: 2 silvers in figure skating.
Briana Bruce, St. Cloud: silver and bronze in figure skating.
Lauren Caswell, White Bear Lake: silver in track and field.
Lashondra Curtis, Saint Paul: silver in track and field.
Tamara Curtis, Saint Paul: 2 golds and silver in track and field.
Jake Farrington, Circle Pines: silver and bronze in track and field.
Amy Hellickson, Brooten: silver and 2 bronzes in track and field.
Hope Hoffman, Rochester: bronze in figure skating.
Nic Jensen, Rochester: bronze in golf.
Garrett Kling: 2 silvers in figure skating.
Jeff Koppenhaver, Barnesville: 2 golds and silver in track and field.
Nate Koppenhaver, Barnesville: silver and bronze in track and field.
Tom Kough, Roseville: 2 golds in diving, silver in bowling.
Kristen Kraimer, Savage: silver and bronze in figure skating.
Erica Krynski, Lakeville: gold in figure skating.
George LaBelle, Zimmerman: gold and 3 silvers in track and field.
Kyle Milnes, Oakdale: gold in powerlifting.
Jerome Montgomery, Woodbury: silver in track and field.
Paul Montgomery, Woodbury: 2 golds in track and field.
Paige Onstad, Clarks Grove: gold in figure skating.
Robert Parker, Brooklyn Park: gold in track and field.
Daniel Paur, Bird Island: bronze in track and field.
Kenneth Paur, Bird Island: gold in track and field.
Dan Thompson, Saint Paul: silver in tennis.
Max Thompson, Saint Paul: 2 silvers in tennis.
Allie Tufto, Chaska: silver in figure skating.
If we’ve missed any medalists, please email us at sgames@mnsports.org.
Also, we had several Minnesotans working as SGA officials and organizers:
Krystal Himmler, Winona: figure skating scoring accountant.
Barclay Kruse, Coon Rapids: venue evaluation team.
Barb Yackel, South Saint Paul: figure skating judge
