Erv Vanover has been named the Team Kentucky head track and field coach for the National Games. Vanover, who works for Kentucky Utilities, is a longtime volunteer with the program. He serves annually as one of the track and field venue directors at the Special Olympics Kentucky State Summer Games in Richmond. This will be the third time Vanover has been a member of a Team Kentucky delegation, working as a track and field coach at the 1987 Special Olympics World Summer Games in South Bend, Ind., and the 1991 World Summer Games in Minneapolis, Minn.

Leslie Floyd will be making her first trip to a major Special Olympics competition as an assistant track and field coach for Team Kentucky at the National Games. Floyd has been a coach with Special Olympics Kentucky for four years, working with athletes in softball, bowling, golf, track and field and basketball. She has also competed as a Unified partner in golf and bowling. Floyd currently works as a personal care attendant at Building Bridges and in therapeutic recreation activities for the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government Department of Parks.

Christy Farwell of Alexandria will compete in the 200-meter dash and the shot put in Ames. She will also run a leg of the 4×100-meter relay. Farwell,19, works at the St. Elizabeth Medical Center. She has been involved in Special Olympics programs for four years and ran track before beginning to compete in Special Olympics. In addition to track and field, Farwell competes in alpine skiing, basketball, bowling and softball.

Bradley Hope, 14, will run the 200-meter dash and compete in the shot put in Ames. Hope, a student at Henderson North Middle School, has been involved in Special Olympics for six years. He also competes in swimming, bowling and golf. This will be his first trip to a major Special Olympics competition.

Crystal Maston of Bowling Green is expected to run in the 100-meter dash and compete in the running long jump in Ames. She will also run a 4×100-meter relay leg. Maston, 19, has been involved in Special Olympics for two years, participating in bowling, softball and basketball in addition to track and field. This will be Maston’s first major Special Olympics competition.

Matthew Minning of Taylor Mill will be Team Kentucky’s lone distance runner at the Games. Minning, a student at Scott High School , will run the 1,500 – and 10,000-meter events and complete the 4×100-meter relay team in Ames. Minning, 19, has been involved in Special Olympics for six years and has competed in track for three years. He trains with daily five- to six-mile runs. In addition to track and field, Minning also competes in Special Olympics basketball, softball and swimming. This will be his first trip to a major Special Olympics competition.

Jeremy Thompson of Lexington is expected to run the 100-meter dash and a leg of the 4×100-meter relay and compete in the running long jump in Ames. Thompson, a student at Tates Creek High School , has competed in Special Olympics for nine years. He competes in basketball as well as track and field. This will be his first trip to a major Special Olympics competition.