THE 2009 NCSG ATHLETE OF THE YEAR RECEPIENTS ANNOUNCED
Cindy Hauber Dave Sutko
CLICK HERE for addtional photos from the Athlete of the Year Banquet.
The Athlete of the Year Program recognizes outstanding athletes from State Games nationwide. Athletes of the Year are chosen based on the following criteria:
- Participation in the State Games and medals won
- Sportsmanship
- Attitude and effort
- Overall athletic participation and achievement
- Athlete’s motivation/reason for being involved in sports
- Special attributes or circumstances within the sport/community
- Why the athlete represents the spirit of amateur athletics and the State Games movement.
2009 NCSG Athletes of the Year, Cindy Hauber (triathlon) of Iowa and Dave Sutko(multiple sports) of Nebraska.
AMES, IOWA- August 25, 2009 - The National Congress of State Games, which is a membership organization of 31 individual State Games from California to Maine, has selected it's male and female athletes of the year for 2009.
The 2009 award winners are Cindy Hauber of the Iowa Games and Dave Sutko of the Cornhusker State Games (Nebraska).
The formal presentation will be made at the NCSG annual symposium and general meeting, being held October 5-7, and hosted by the Iowa Sports Foundation and the Iowa Games.
The National Congress of State Games Athletes of the Year were honored at a banquet at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center on Wednesday, October 7. Cindy Hauber; Iowa Games Triathlon/Lifetime Achievement In the 2009 Iowa Games which are held in Ames each year, Cindy won Gold in the 500 Freestyle, 50 Backstroke, 200 Individual Medley and 50 Butterfly. She recently started competing in Triathlons for a fun challenge after her co-workers encouraged her to try something new. She did her own training and placed second in the 55 - 59 age division of the Iowa Games with a time of 1:27.17. In 2008 she participated in the 5K Road Race as well and received five gold and one silver medal in the master swimming competition. Cindy has only missed two Iowa Games since its inaugural year in 1987. She missed the 1991 Summer Games due the birth of her third child, and she had a set-back in 2000 when she had a ruptured cerebral aneurysm. She had several complications with the aneurysm but was determined to get back into the pool. She was able to start swimming again 3 weeks after leaving the hospital and she slowly regained her strength and increased her yardage. Although she didn't compete in the 2000 Summer Games she joined her fellow swimmers at the pool and gave them words of encouragement; the same was returned by her former (and future) competitors. Cindy has a doctorate in physical therapy and works at Mary Greeley Medical Center. Her unit at Mary Greeley provides services to patients that are homebound. Over the years Cindy has volunteered at the medical tent for the Special Olympics. She recently took over coordinating the physical therapy medical volunteers for the Special Olympics state competition in Ames. She says that it is important to give back to the community. Cindy also competed in the 1989 Pan America Games in Indianapolis, winning 7th place in the backstroke and competed in the open water swim. She says that one of her highlights each summer is participating in the Summer Iowa Games. She enjoys seeing old friends, making new friends and encouraging others to compete at the master swimming competition. Cindy's commitment and accomplishments in the sport of swimming have earned her the Iowa Games 2009 Marty McHone Female Athlete of the Year and our nomination for 2009 National Female Athlete of the Year. Dave Sutko; Cornhusker State Games, Multiple Events
Dave Sutko, of Lincoln, Nebraska, has excelled in men's volleyball at the national level for the past 15 years, but competed in 25 different events in the Cornhusker State Games this year. Sutko earned 16 medals and the respect and admiration of thousands of Nebraskans who followed his progress in the news media and on the CSG website. According to Scott Ash, operations director at the CSG, "it was the talk of the Games." Dave took on the 25-sport challenge in honor of the Cornhusker State Games 25-year anniversary. While the original idea was formulating, something happend to Dave that changes his outlook on life and gave him the motivation to make his dream a reality. While dusting shelves at his sports bar, in Lincoln, he bumped his elbow and got a small cut. Uknowingly, he contracted a serious staph infection. A few days later, with his entire left arm burning and discolored, the staph, called M.R.S.A.(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), was discovered when he took himself to the emergency room. After two days in the hospital and an aggressive treatment with numerous forms of antibiotics his arm was still swollen to twice its normal size. An infectious disease specialist relayed a daunting prognosis; If the next round of antibiotics didn't work they would have to amputate his arm. Thankfully the final treatment worked. But Dave recalled the event was a major turning point in his life. "I think it was shortly after I was back from the hospital. I made a personal commitment to myself that I would not take anything/one that I have in my life for granted ever again," "There are so many people that have it so much harder than I do, so the 25 events was a challenge to myself to show others that same message. If I can do 25 events, they [Nebraskans] can do one," he said.Dave began training for the Cornhusker State Games the following day. He began a nutrition program to aid his two-to-three-hour daily workouts. His competitive nature was the foundation for his training. Even though the challenge started off as a joke, he took it seriously; 25 events in two weeks of competition meant preparation. While Dave did not seek the limelight, the limelight found him. From the time the challenge was announced at the Games Preview Luncheon in April until his last sport was completed, the CSG staff and news media kept tabs on him, and while not always comfortable with the attention, he was a great sport, and even agreed to publicly challenge Nebraskans in CSG television and radio public service announcements. According to Ash, "Dave has been a long time CSG volunteer and competitor. He's just a fun-loving guy who doesn't want any attention. But after what he accomplished he deserves this accolade. His accomplishments were the talk of the town during our two weekends of competition and I honestly have never seen an athlete go through what he did. "After our main weekend of competition, and completing nine events in one day, Dave had to hire a home health nurse to come to his house to give him an IV of fluid. Needless to say, he was back at it the very next day and racked up more medals." CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THIS STORY:
Cindy Hauber has competed in the Iowa Games for 21 of the 23 years in numerous sports. Her main sport is swimming where she has collected over 100 Iowa Games medals.
Shortly after recovery, Ash, knowing nothing of the accident/hospitalization, ran into Dave and jokingly asked if he was ready to make history by doing 25 sports in the 25th Games. To Ash's surprise, Dave said that he was ready.
According to Ash, Dave was respectful of every sport and took time to visit with and compliment other competitors and volunteers. Prior to the competitions he consulted experienced athletes and volunteers to learn and practice the events he was unfamiliar with, so as not to mock the sports' regulars.
Dave Sutko's 2009 List of Cornhusker State Games Events: Torch Run, Sport Skydiving, Waterskiing, Sporting Clays, Archery, Trap Shooting, Skeet Shooting, Sand Volleyball 2x2, Sand Volleyball 4x4, Volkswalk (Outdoor),Dodgeball, Softball, Tug of War, Bronze Beach Wrestling, Track & Field, Discus, Track & Field, Shot Put, Track & Field, Long Jump Track & Field, 800 M Run, Volkswalk (Indoor), Sand Volleyball 6x6, Silver BMX Racing, Mens Indoor Volleyball 6x6, Open Water Swimming, Footstock, Indoor Co-Ed Volleyball 6x6.
National Congress of State Games President: Barclay Kruse (Star of the North State Games; Minnesota): bkruse@mnsports.org; 763-785-5634
National Congress of State Games Athlete of the Year Committee Chair; Jeff Scully (Maine Games): jeff@mainegames.org; 207-284-2003
NCSG Female Athlete of the Year winner's State Games contact: Kim Abels (Iowa Games); kim@iowasportsfoundation.org; 888.777.8881 x 105
NCSG Male Athlete of the Year winner's State Games contact: Dave Mlnarik (Cornhusker State Games; Nebraska): dmlnarik@nebraskasportscouncil.com; 402.471.2544
CLICK HERE to view past NCSG Athlete of the Year winners.
