Team Utah has success at Transplant Games
TEAM UTAH-IDAHO HAS SUCCESS AT U.S. TRANSPLANT GAMES
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Seventeen different athletes from Team Utah-Idaho combined for 33 medals, including 10 gold medals at the 2006 U.S. Transplant Games presented by the National Kidney Foundation in Louisville, Ky., June 17-20. The games, held every two years for those that have received life-saving organ transplants, were held for the 13th time.
Nine-year old Ashton Arndt, from Sandy, Utah led the way for the team, claiming a team-best five medals, including one gold, two silvers and two bronzes. Arndt, who had a liver transplant at the age of six months old in 1997, won the cycling event for 6-9 yard olds.
Arndt also claimed silvers in the softball throw and discus while winning bronze in the 25-meter dash and 5K run.
In all, 12 different Utah-Idaho athletes won multiple medals, including Mikal Lawrence from Sandy, who won a gold in the 18-29 age group in golf, a silver in the softball throw, and a bronze as a member of the 4×100 relay team. Lawrence had a heart transplant in 2002.
Megan Larsen, a six-year old liver transplant recipient from Veyo, Utah, was the youngest member of the team and she returned home with a bronze medal in bowling.
Three 60-plus year olds on the team also won medals as James Ontiveros won a gold in tennis and a silver in table tennis in the 70-plus age group, while Leigh Cropper was the bronze medal winner in racquetball and Lee Johnson won gold in the high jump and silver in the long jump in the 60-69 age division.
Other gold medal winners included Joe Frazier (Oakley, Utah) in badminton, Kally Heslop (Kaysville, Utah) in swimming, Sally Ogaard (Sandy, Utah) in the softball throw, Whitney Peterson (formerly of Utah, but now living in Nebraska) in the long jump, and Mike Strauss (Logan, Utah) golf.
Other multiple medal winners include Frazier, Ogaard, Terry Pacheco (Ogden, Utah), Brayden Seymour (Kaysville, Utah), Strauss, and Michael Tucker (Orem, Utah).
2006 U.S. Transplant Games ResultsLouisville, Ky.June 17-20, 2006
Team Utah-Idaho Medals
5KAge Medal Individual, Hometown Time1-17 Bronze Ashton Arndt, Sandy 35:14.4718-29 Silver Brayden Seymour, Kaysville 30:56.83
BadmintonAge Medal Individual, Hometown18-29 Gold Joe Frazier, Oakley
BowlingAge Medal Individual, Hometown Score6-9 Bronze Megan Larsen, Veyo 23811-13 Silver Riley Nelson, West Jordan 391
CyclingAge Medal Individual, Hometown Distance Time6-9 Gold Megan Larsen, Veyo 1K 3:236-9 Gold Ashton Arndt, Sandy 1K 2:36
GolfAge Medal Individual, Hometown Score40-49 Bronze Sally Ogaard, Sandy 110 (Gross)40-49 Gold Mike Strauss, Logan 75 (Gross)50-59 Bronze Michael Tucker, Orem 78 (Gross)18-29 Gold Mikael Lawrence, Sandy 40 (Net) (nine holes)18-29 Bronze Joe Frazier, Oakley 43 (Net) (nine holes)
Team Golf Medal Individuals Score Silver Michael Tucker/Mike Strauss 69 (Gross)
RacquetballAge Medal Individual, Hometown60-69 Bronze Leigh Cropper, Salt Lake County
SwimmingAge Medal Individual, Hometown Event Time15-29 Bronze Brayden Seymour, Kaysville 100 IM 2:05.4840-49 Gold Kally Heslop, Kaysville 50 Breast 59:53
Table TennisAge Medal Individual, Hometown70+ Silver James Ontiveros
TennisAge Medal Individual, Hometown70+ Gold James Ontiveros
Track and FieldAge Medal Individual, Hometown Event Time/Dist.6-9 Bronze Ashton Arndt, Sandy 25 meters 10.046-9 Silver Ashton Arndt, Sandy SB Throw 24.91m1-17 Silver Ashton Arndt. Sandy Discus 5.28m14-17 Silver Whitney Peterson SB Throw 51.99m14-17 Gold Whitney Peterson Long Jump 4.08m18-29 Silver Mikael Lawrence, Sandy SB Throw 58.24m30-39 Silver Terry Pacheco, Ogden 800 meters 3:32.8730-39 Gold Sally Ogaard, Sandy SB Throw 38.58m60-69 Gold Lee Johnson, Layton High Jump 1.11m60-69 Silver Lee Johnson, Layton Long Jump 3.11m Bronze Pacheco, Lawrence, Winger, 4×100 Relay 58.98 Peterson