When the State Games of America are held in Omaha and Lincoln from July 28 to Aug. 2, approximately 20,000 athletes in more than 60 sports — including Olympic hurdler and bobsledder Lolo Jones and Olympic wrestler Jordan Burroughs — will be participating in what organizers call “the largest Olympic-style sports festival in the nation.”
UNMC will be represented, as well.
Pharmacy student Michaela Hruska and the rest of her co-ed volleyball team will be participating in the State Games volleyball tournament after winning their division of the UNMC intramural championships in April.
The event will serve as a last hurrah for the team, which has been together since Hruska and her College of Pharmacy classmates began at UNMC three years ago.
“This is our last year before we go out on our rotations, so we were sad that it was coming to an end,” Hruska said. “It is nice to have one last time to play.”
Hruska and her team won’t be the only representatives from UNMC playing this summer. As the State Games holds events in Omaha and Lincoln — offering participants the chance to compete in a wide range of sporting activities, including taekwando, ice skating, triathlon, swimming, archery, shooting sports and more — the Center for Healthy Living is sending several of its intramural champions to the games.
Other UNMC faculty, staff and students are encouraged to register for the games, as well. Entry fees vary by sporting event.
The entries are part of sponsorship activities UNMC will be engaged in as a Gold Partner of the games. UNMC also will be involved in the figure skating events, working with the local skate clubs of Omaha in hosting and providing standby first-aid assistance.
“The State Games of America is a great event that promotes healthful activities,” said Rick Fulton, intramural coordinator at the Center for Healthy Living. “We’re excited that UNMC is partnering with the games, and we hope the faculty, staff and students of UNMC take advantage of the variety of athletic activities the games offer this year.”
For more information on the State Games of America, including a complete list of events and registration information, click here.