[Sportsandrec] FW: USABA Member Named Colorado's State Games Athlete of the Year

[Christella Garcia]

  _____  

From: U.S. Association of Blind Athletes [mailto:etap at usaba.org] 
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 4:11 PM
To: Christella Garcia
Subject: USABA Member Named Colorado's State Games Athlete of the Year


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USABA Member Named Colorado's State Games Athlete of the Year
For Immediate Release
Contact:  Mike Moran, Director of Communications
Colorado Springs Sports Corp. (719) 634-7777  
 
 
Colorado Springs, August 18------ Colorado's 2009 State Games Athletes of
the Year compete in two very different sports. Both not only have national
and international reputations but excelled in a field of 10,312 athletes
during the State Games of America in Colorado Springs, July 30-August 2. 
 
Asya Miller, a 29-year old athlete who is visually impaired lives and trains
in Colorado Springs, is the state's State Games Female Athlete of the Year.
 
The 2008 U.S. Paralympic gold medalist and Michigan native won silver medals
at the State Games of America Track and Field competition in the Discus
(104.49) and Javelin (85.60), and a bronze medal in the shot put (33.76)
while competing against a field of sighted competitors. 
 
She won a gold medal for the USA in the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing,
too, scoring the winning goal for the United States in a 6-5 overtime win
over host China. The versatile star scored all six goals during the Gold
medal game, in fact.
 
She was nominated for an ESPY Award this year in the "Best Female Athlete
With Disabilities" category for the final show in New York for her amazing
performance.
 
37-year old JJ Clark of Colorado Springs is the Colorado State Games Male
Athlete of the Year.
 
Clark captured the gold medal in the Men's Male pro 19+ Division in Mountain
Biking at the recent State Games of America. His gold medal came two weeks
after the accomplished cyclist won the U.S. Cycling National Championship in
the Male Pro Singlespeed Class. 
 
His State Games of America championship also gave him the overall men's
points championship in the prestigious Carmichael Training Systems Sand
Creek Series, a major summer event in Colorado.
 
The two, selected by the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, will be among
a field of nominees by states for the National State Games Male and Female
Athlete Of The Year Awards, which will be announced next Thursday, August
25, by the National Congress of State Games.
 
NOTE: The announcement of the national winners will be made on a
Teleconference on August 25 at 11:00 a.m. (CDT) Dial (402) 237-2015 or (402)
426-6965 and use Code 560553# to listen.
 
The national winners will be presented with their awards at a banquet in
their honor in Ames, Iowa, on Wednesday, October 7, during the NCSG Annual
Symposium.