Rob Pilcher, an Army National Guard soldier from Omaha who is serving in Iraq, has been named the National Male Athlete of the Year by the National Congress of State Games.
Pilcher and the female winner, Patricia Jaffray of Montana, were chosen from among more than 500,000 athletes who competed in 40 State Games competitions across the country.
Pilcher, 25, planned his two-week leave from active duty in Iraq to compete in the Cornhusker State Games wrestling tournament. Pilcher’s 13 victories in Greco, Freestyle, Scholastic and Takedown helped propel him to five gold medals and a seventh “Wrestling Iron Man” award. Over the last nine years in Cornhusker State Games competition he has amassed 31 overall medals.
Jaffray, a distance runner from Billings, Montana, earned the Female Athlete of the Year honor by overcoming severe fatigue from over 30 days of radiation treatment to capture the bronze medal in the 5K race.
Competing in the Big Sky Games for 19 of the last 20 years, she started running to reduce stress but turned it into a much-enjoyed daily routine. She has also competed in swimming and cycling events.
Pilcher became the fourth Nebraskan in 12 years to be honored with the national award, joining Kerry McDermott and Jerry Owen, both from Lincoln and Mike Hafenbrack, of Yutan. Pilcher is serving with the Army National Guard 313th Medical Company.
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