Linze has been competing in the Show-Me State Games track meet since she was 14 years old, and she says it’s the highlight of her summer every year! However, she began to have some mystery health issues in 2021, which worsened to the point of not being able to train anymore. In 2023, she was diagnosed with a pituitary brain tumor and would need surgery. The morning of her surgery, she asked her neurosurgeon if she would be able to run by July for the GAMES. He said that he would do his best to help her reach her goals. After a successful surgery, Linze began slowly recovering and used the GAMES as her motivation.

We had our first perfect game of 300 bowled by Cole Johnson this year! Cole started bowling at 8 years old with his dad and joined a youth league soon after. He then joined the Hickman High School team and is now a senior on the bowling team at Central Methodist University. This is Cole’s first 300 game and a series of 774 for three games. His bowling average is 207. Cole bowls because it is a place of comfort, and he enjoys continued improvement. Our bowling commissioner said that Cole not only accomplished something great, but he also is very kind and always shows great sportsmanship. 

This was Rose’s first-ever Missouri State Senior Games! Throughout the past several years, she has suffered from asthma which caused her to be hospitalized multiple times. However, she decided something needed to change. Rosie was a sprinter in junior high and high school, so she decided to sign up for our track meet. This gave her the motivation to start training to improve her lungs. Her training has helped her immensely! She made it through the track meet with no problems and brought home 2 medals! She thanks her trainer Christian Ricketts and her daughters for all their support in training and on race day! 

Rick has participated in all 40 Show-Me State Games in a variety of events starting at age 27! He played basketball in college, so he was really interested in playing tournament style basketball when the Show-Me State Games first started out. He enjoyed the GAMES and decided to start trying out new sports. Since then, he has participated in at least 13 different events as an athlete and a coach and has been a volunteer. He said he looks forward to it every year.