Erv Vanover will serve as Team Kentucky’s Head Track and Field Coach for the second consecutive National Games. In 2006 his athletes won seven medals, including two Golds. Vanover, an e-on US team member, has been working with Special Olympics for 29 years and has been a track and field coach for 25 years. He was part of the Team Kentucky contingents that competed at the 1987 World Summer Games in South Bend, Ind., and the 1991 World Summer Games in Minneapolis.

Robyn Ballinger of Louisville will serve as the Assistant Track and Field Coach. Ballinger, just 20 years old, has been helping coach Special Olympics athletes already for 8 years, starting out helping her mother. She has coached bowling as well as track and field. This will be her first National or World competition.

Ryan Barts , 20, of Georgetown will compete in the 100-meter dash and the running long jump as well as a relay event in Lincoln. Barts, who works at Kroger, has been a Special Olympics athlete for seven years, competing in track and field, bowling, softball and basketball. This will be his first time competing at the National or World level. Barts qualified by winning Gold Medals in both the 100-meters and running long jump at the 2009 State Summer Games in June. He ran the 100-meters in 12.5 seconds.

Tim Kornrumpf, 18, is a member of the Louisville Flyers Special Olympics program. He will compete in two individual events and one relay at the Games. He qualified for selection to the National Games team with Gold Medals in the 200-meter dash and 4×100-meter relay at the 2009 State Summer Games in Richmond. An employee of Valu Market in Louisville, Kornrumpf has been a Special Olympics athlete for four years, competing in softball and basketball in addition to track and field. This will be his first competition above the State level.

Ann Locke, 39, has been a Special Olympics athlete for 22 years and previously competed in the 1991 Special Olympics World Summer Games in track and field. Locke, who works at Elizabethtown Swim and Fitness, is a distance running specialist who won the 800-meter and 5,000-meter runs at the 2009 State Summer Games in Richmond to qualify for selection. In addition to track and field, the Elizabethtown resident also competes in Special Olympics basketball.

Matthew Minning, of Taylor Mill, received the first Gold Medal awarded in Special Olympics USA National Games history when Special Olympics Chairman Tim Shriver presented his award for winning his division of the 10,000-meter run at the 2006 Games in Ames, Iowa. Minning, 22, added two Bronze Medals to that Gold in 2006. He also claimed a pair of Silver Medals – in the 10,000- and 5,000-meter runs – at the 2007 World Summer Games in Shanghai, China. Minning, who works at Bob Evans Restaurant in Fort Wright, has been a Special Olympics athlete for 10 years. He also competes in softball, basketball and alpine skiing and has competed in swimming.

Lesley Reising, 33, of Berea has been a Special Olympics athlete for four years. Reising, who works for Employment Solutions, also competes in basketball and bowling. This will be her first competition above the State level. Reising qualified for selection to the team with a gold medal in the shot put at the 2009 State Summer Games in Richmond.