OMAHA (KMTV) — The Cornhusker State Games are underway, showcasing dozens of sports over two weekends in Nebraska.
- This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Cornhusker State Games.
- The event features multiple days of competition and dozens of sports, including softball, curling, arm wrestling and more.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"It's just something fun to look forward to," Kristen Erickson, a curling athlete at the Cornhusker State Games, said.
(The year) 2024 marks 40 years of the Cornhusker State Games.
Dozens of sports.
"We have freestyle BMX, we've got disc golf, chess is a sport in the Cornhusker State Games," Nebraska Sports Council president Dave Mlnarik said. "So there's a wide mix of stuff."
In multiple locations in Nebraska for any age and skill level.
"Typically we will have youngsters signed up as young as two or three years old, and we have people participating into their 90s," Mlnarik said. "So it runs the gamut."
To some of the athletes, the competition is just as important as the fun.
"It's a little bit of both," Jackson Grandstaff, who participated in curling, said. "It's obviously ok if I don't win, but I'd also really really want to."
"So we won silver last time for five (years of experience) and under," Erickson said, "and we're hoping we can keep winning more games and see what happens."
"Really our core mission is promoting active, healthy lifestyles," Mlnarik said. "And we very much believe that if people are having fun, they're going to be active. So this whole Cornhusker State Games is probably the best example you can have of that. We need to get people moving, keep them having fun so they keep moving and live a healthier life."
"I've lived in I don't know, about five, six, seven different states," Erickson said. "There's nothing like this that I've seen at all. So I just think it's cool. It's like this little, kind of like, mini Olympics so to speak."
"It shows how there's a strong sense of community within the sports throughout Nebraska and it provides a great opportunity for everyone," Grandstaff said.
Click here to learn more about the events at the Cornhusker State Games.
