Team Minnesota Earns Medals at Special Olympics National Games

94 Special Olympics Minnesota athletes represented state at National Games in Lincoln, Neb.

MINNEAPOLIS, July 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Special Olympics Minnesota athletes earned 91 medals at the 2010 USA National Games, competing as Team Minnesota in the Lincoln, Neb. event, July 18–23. The 94-member team brought back 37 gold, 34 silver and 20 bronze medals through competition in a total of 43 unique events.

In team sports, Minnesota's unified volleyball team, male bowling team, and female bocce team each won gold medals in their respective divisions. Team Minnesota's male and female basketball teams, softball team and male bocce team each brought home silver. The female bowling team placed sixth in their division.

In individual sports, Team Minnesota earned a total of 34 gold medals: 12 in aquatics events, two in bowling, five in golf, three in rhythmic gymnastics and 12 in track and field. Outstanding performances include Division 1 gold medals by Nick Vandenburgh of Oak Grove, Minn. in pentathlon and Katie Timmer of Minneapolis in stroke play 9-hole golf. The Team Minnesota 4x400 relay team, composed of Jerad Magnuson of Austin, Minn., Kieven Odero of Minneapolis, Jesus Ortega of Saint Paul and Vandenburgh, also earned a Division 1 gold medal.

The 94 members of Team Minnesota included sixteen track and field athletes; eight aquatic athletes; a male and female full-court basketball team; eight bowlers; eight golfers; two gymnasts; eight bocce athletes; a softball team and a volleyball team. A complete list of Team Minnesota's results, including team rosters, can be found at http://www.specialolympicsminnesota.org/National_Games_Athlete.php.

In addition to athletics competition, many Team Minnesota athletes also flew to and from Lincoln, Neb. on private charter jets via the Cessna Airlift, found inspiration and entertainment at the opening and closing ceremonies, met new friends and gained valuable, confidence-boosting experiences.

The 2010 USA National Games was the largest sporting event held in the history of Nebraska, bringing together 2,666 athletes, 746 coaches and 6,300 volunteers. Athletes from 48 states won a total of 4,923 medals in 13 sports: aquatics, basketball, bocce, bowling, flag football, golf, gymnastics, powerlifting, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field and volleyball.

Special Olympics Minnesota offers children and adults with intellectual disabilities year-round sports training and competition. Through Special Olympics' athletic, health and leadership programs, people with intellectual disabilities transform themselves, their communities and the world.

Created by the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation for the Benefit of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities

E-mail [email protected]

www.specialolympicsminnesota.org

SOURCE Special Olympics Minnesota