A report of the 2004 CSG was written soon after the games were over. The exciting news that year was one of our own, Herman Batelaan, won the male athlete of the year award!

Lincoln—The 20th anniversary Cornhusker State Games came to a close Sunday with a final count of 17,534 total participants. Papillion armwrestler Andrea Paul, 17, was chosen as the female athlete of the year, and 39 year-old badminton player Herman Batelaan won the male award.

Paul has earned gold medals in each of the past six CSG armwrestling tournaments and recently won the national title in her division. She also holds 20 national lifting records and competed alongside her mother and six siblings in this year’s Games.

Batelaan, a native of the Netherlands, is considered the state’s top badminton player. He has competed in the Cornhusker State Games for seven years and has won nine gold and two bronze medals.

Long-time archery director John Elliott of Lincoln was named the winner of the E. Lee Todd Senior Athlete of the Year Award. Elliott, 59, earned two gold medals in this year’s archery tournament and is one of two sport directors to have led their sport for all 20 years of the Cornhusker State Games. He also participated in the volkswalk and has carried the torch in past years.