Huntley's Stookey is National Athlete of Year

BILLINGS - The National Congress of State Games has selected its male and female Athletes of the Year for 2010, continuing a tradition that began in 1994. Iona Stookey of Huntley, Montana was selected as the Female Athlete of the Year. Stookey, Male Athlete of the Year Stephen Peirce, of Sherwood, Oregon and Youth Athlete of the Year Garrett Allen, of Hampden, Maine will be honored at a banquet in their honor September 23, at the Hall of Champions in San Diego during the NCSG Annual Symposium. The keynote speaker will be USA Olympian and former world triple jump record holder, Al Joyner.

Stookey, 43, of has been involved in the Big Sky State Games as a player, coach, and a past commissioner since the inception of the Games in 1986. She has, over the years, won eight gold, 10 silver, and two bronze medals while competing in volleyball women's sixes, women's grass doubles volleyball, coed sixes volleyball, and badminton. Stookey also dedicated five years to the Games as a volleyball commissioner.

Stookey's best memory of the Games is of carrying the volleyball banner in the Opening Ceremonies Parade of Athletes with her teammates at the 1986 inaugural Big Sky State Games. Her team had Gold medals around their necks from winning the women's open volleyball competition earlier in the day. Stookey played volleyball at Eastern Montana College for four years. She was inducted into their Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006, and participated in the State Games throughout college winning Gold medals in the Women's Division. Stookey has not stopped competing. As the oldest women's grass doubles player in 2009 and 2010, she earned Silver medals each year. What makes the recent medals even more special is that her teammate was her daughter Lindsey, who played for her in high school.

Stookey passes on her passion for Volleyball and the State Games through coaching. For the last 20 years she has coached junior high and high school at Huntley Project High School and every year brings an 7th and 8th grade, 9th and 10th grade and 11th and 12th grade team to the Games. This year two of her teams were Gold medalists and one team earned the Silver.

Throughout the years her teams have won 6 Gold, 2 Silver, and 4 Bronze. This is not a surprise since last Fall Huntley Project won its fifth State B Volleyball Championship in the last seven years. What makes this more amazing is the team lost its school in 2008 due to a fire and has had to play their home games at surrounding schools gyms for the last two years. Stookey not only lost the gym for practicing and playing but she lost the majority of her personal Big Sky State Games medals that were in her office when the school burned down. Even without a gym, Stookey reached a milestone last year with 500 career wins and was selected as the Montana Coaches Association Class B Volleyball Coach of the Year for the 5th time.

Stookey looks forward to the State Games every year and she loves the atmosphere the State Games brings to the community. She enjoys participating and having her athletes participate.

The National Congress of State Games is a collection of State Games organizations from coast-to-coast including the Big Sky State Games, with the mission of providing amateur athletes of all ages and abilities the opportunity to compete on a statewide stage, to practice good sportsmanship, and to develop healthy habits that can last a lifetime. The NCSG is a member of the United States Olympic Committee's Multi-Sport Organizations Council. Annually as many as a half-million amateur athletes compete in State Games in more than 100 different sports.

The Big Sky State Games has provided thousands of Montanans the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of events and programs since 1986. The 25th annual event included 37 sports. Finals were held July 16, 17 and 18 in Billings. This year's Big Sky State Games Athletes of the Year were Iona Stookey (Volleyball), Steve Mysee of Billings (Cycling, Road Race and Triathlon) and new this year the Youth Athlete of the Year went to Zach Holmes of Billings (Archery). The Team of the Year honors were awarded to Sure Shank Reception (Co-ed Volleyball).