Cycling makes State Games debut this year

Cycling, one of America’s most popular elite and recreational sports in the last three decades, makes its debut on the State Games of America program in Colorado Springs, Aug. 2-5. And no state has been hotter than Colorado for the sport, with thousands of Coloradans competing at every level.

Colorado is at the forefront of cycling enthusiasm and participation, and the home of countless Olympic and world-class cycling athletes who have trained in the state or in Colorado Springs, including Olympic medalists Nelson Vails, Rebecca Twigg, Mark Gorski, Erin Mirabella, Mari Holden and Connie Carpenter-Phinney.

Colorado Springs is also home to Olympian Alison Dunlap, who was the 2001 world mountain biking champion. She is one of the sport’s commissioners for the State Games of America.

State Games of America cyclists can compete in the popular mountain biking event or the road cycling/time trial division, with both disciplines set for the U.S. Air Force Academy on Aug. 4-5. There are 11 road cycling classes for ages 10 to 45-plus, and a pro adult (18 and older) division.

The mountain biking competition features competition in 20 classes, with ages ranging from 10 to 60-plus. All competitors in either class must have a USA Cycling license, and special one-day licenses will be available.

There are male and female categories for each division, and each category will be scored separately.

In order to qualify for the State Games of America, participants must have won a gold, silver or bronze medal in a SGA sport in their local 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.

Eligible athletes can go to: www.stategames.org, then click on the State Games of America logo for complete registration information, lodging and accommodations information, ticket details and much more.

Colorado Springs children to learn from blind, Olympic, Paralympic athletes

The U.S. Association of Blind Athletes and Divine Redeemer School are teaming up to provide children, ages 5-12, a unique opportunity for growth.

Camp Vision, July 9–13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Divine Redeemer School will give Colorado Springs schoolchildren the opportunity to get to know blind competitors from International Blind Sports Association’s World Youth and Student Games, be taught by Olympic and Paralympic athletes about overcoming adversity, language, culture, disabilities, sports, and everyone’s abilities.

Register for Camp Vision $85 on or before May 31, after $100, online at www.CampVisionForKids.org or contact Kim King at kim@campvisionforkids.org or 719-630-0422 extension 10.

USABA will host the 2007 IBSA World Youth and Student Games, July 12-16. More than 300 blind youth from 27 countries will be in Colorado Springs competing in goalball (sport specifically for the blind and visually impaired) and judo at Colorado College, swimming at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and Track and Field at St. Mary’s Grace Center.

USABA will kick off the festivities with an Olympic-style parade of nations which will include blind youth and hundreds of Camp Vision participants and Colorado Springs school children at 6:30 p.m. July 12 at Colorado College's Washburn Field.

The ceremonies will also feature a live rhythmic concert by KISSIDUGU, an exciting high-octane drum and dance troupe, with rarely seen high-flying Guinea "dun dun dancing" and West African percussion. Spectator tickets are $7 and can be purchased in advance online at www.usaba.org or contact USABA at 719-630-0422 ext. 10.

Trampoline center dominates six-state regional championships

By NEWS SERVICES

Twenty-three Colorado Springs athletes from Artsports, scored big winning 11 gold, 12 silver and eight bronze medals, including 53 Top-10 finishes at the country's largest regional championships in Houston. More than 900 trampolinists and power tumblers showed their stuff at the six-state competition.

Artsports boasts several regional all-stars and 35 athletes with 85 qualifications to the national championships in Memphis, Tenn. America's best "air athletes" compete from June 20-28 with more than 1,600 athletes. Events included Trampoline, Synchronized Trampoline and Power Tumbling, all of which are medal events in gymnastics at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Colorado Coach of the Year Tex Womack was excited and surprised by his team's success. "I really don't think about how good these kids are until you go to a really big meet like this. Even team coaches from other states were congratulating our kids. They are impressive."

Gold medalist were: Scott Autry 7 years old, Chad Bowman 9, Sam Chiacchia, Karri Kirkhuff 14, Andrew Miller 13, Isaiah Turner 15, Gillian McLean 15, Cameron Heimerdinger 16, John Hart 13, Justin Hackett 16

Sky Sox create Rai Henniger family fund

Rai Henniger, senior vice president of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, is undergoing treatment at Denver Health Medical Center after suffering traumatic injuries in a pyrotechnic accident while setting up for a recent Sky Sox baseball game.
His condition is serious. He sustained major facial and head injuries that will require many months of medical care, restorative surgeries and therapy. He is aware of his surroundings and able to communicate by squeezing the hand of his family and caretakers.

His wife, Heather (Mooney), a Manitou Springs High School and University of Colorado at Colorado Springs graduate is now living in a Denver hotel while her parents are caring for their children. The Henniger children, Grace, 10; Emma, 7; and Benjamin, 5, are shuttling back and forth between Denver and Colorado Springs.

Mom and children plan to relocate to a small apartment in Denver for the duration of his treatments, which could be up to several months.

The “Rai Henniger Family Fund” has been established at Security Service Federal Credit Union. Donations can be dropped off at any Security Service location in Colorado Springs, Pueblo or Denver or mailed to: The Rai Henniger Family Fund, 1485 Kelly Johnson Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80920.

The fund will help offset the tremendous health care and family expenses that the Hennigers will face in the coming year(s). Businesses and community citizens who have expressed interest in raising funds for the family are encouraged by the Sky Sox to do so but to make the contributions directly through this fund.

Flowers cannot be sent to the hospital. Anyone interested in sending cards, with or without checks, can send them to the Sky Sox offices at the ballpark at:

“The Henniger Family”
c/o Sky Sox
4385 Tutt Blvd.
Colorado Springs, CO 80922

Adult soccer championships take place this weekend

The men’s soccer first division championship will be held at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at St. Mary’s Grace Center turf field, as Arsenal Premier takes on Front Range for the Roger Maestas Memorial Cup. Roger was a longtime adult player in Colorado Springs, previous board member of the Colorado Springs Soccer Club and coach at Manitou High School, when died during an indoor soccer game a few years back. Roger was 52.

The adult men’s second division championship will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the field for the Luke Fry Memorial Cup, as Jazz takes on Wildcard. Luke was died one year ago Friday. He is a previous member of the Wildcard team and played on at least four other indoor soccer teams at the Colorado Springs Sports Center. Luke was 26.

The St. Mary’s Grace Center is off Union Boulevard at Acacia Drive, just before you get to Fillmore (heading south on Union).

On Sunday the men’s third division championship will be played at 2 p.m. at Discovery Field, as Arsenal Gunners take on Eagles.

Arena Football League football striped pink for Mother's Day

NEW YORK – The Arena Football League and Spalding will honor mothers this weekend with a ceremonial pink game ball. AFL games begin Friday, including the Colorado Crush at Nashville, and culminate when the Dallas Desperados (9-1) host the Chicago Rush (8-1) on ESPN2 and ESPN360.com at 6:30 p.m. on Monday.

Spalding’s design for AFL game balls will be altered slightly. The light brown leather ball usually features a blue "S" stripe. This weekend, AFL teams will use a ball that features a pink "S" stripe, pink laces and pink cross hairs. The commemorative balls will be used for either the first and second half kickoffs or during a special coin toss presentation.

Each participating team will present pink balls to unsuspecting mothers in attendance while also auctioning off autographed balls on www.arenafootball.com. Non-autographed game balls and micro footballs will also be on sale online. A percentage of proceeds from the auctions and sales will benefit The V Foundation for Cancer Research.

Preiss adds another table tennis honor

Austin Preiss, of Manitou Springs, the reigning 12-and-under Junior Olympics national champion battled his way to become the youngest player to win an open singles title in a Colorado USA Table Tennis sanctioned event Saturday, according to Scott Preiss, U.S. national table tennis coach and trainer and Austin's father.

The Front Range Table Tennis Open in Fort Collins featured more than 38 players from Wyoming and Colorado. The 74-pounder won 10 matches in a row to become this year’s Class A singles champion.

Austin, a seventh-grade student at Cheyenne Mountain Junior High, has been playing table tennis since he was 5 and performs table tennis motivational presentations throughout the U.S. with his father. Austin has appeared on the "Ellen Degeneres Show", ESPN, Altitude Sports and Turner Sports Network.