The Augusta Sports Council will award the 19th annual Greater Augusta Medals for Excellence in Sports (GAMES Awards) at our sports awards banquet on Tuesday May 11, 2010 at the Augusta Marriott Hotel & Suites in Downtown Augusta.

The ceremony will also feature special guest Cal Ripken, Jr.  Ripken is first and foremost known for his many achievements in baseball which span 21 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles.  Since being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007, Ripken has gone on to add the title of author, philanthropist, and Chairman and CEO of Ripken Baseball Inc. to his name.

The GAMES Awards have been presented since 1992. The annual program was created to highlight the outstanding amateur athletes that represent a broad spectrum of sports disciplines in the CSRA. Awards are presented to high school athletes in the categories of All-Around Athlete, Outstanding Athlete, Rising Star and Outstanding Team.  Special recognition is also paid to outstanding high school coaches, in addition to club sport, collegiate and adaptive athletes.

The GAMES Awards banquet is open to the public.  Check-in and a social hour will open at 6:30 PM, with dinner and program beginning promptly at 7:30 PM.  Tickets are $45 for Sports Council members and $50 for non-members.  Tables of 8 are also available. Please call 706.722.8326 x 231 for reservations.

The Swim Champions Fitter & Faster Tour will make a stop at the Augusta Aquatic Center on Sunday, May 23, 2010. The Fitter & Faster Tour is a unique opportunity for swimmers ages 5-18 to meet and learn from Olympic medalists and world champions. Athletes scheduled to appear at the Augusta event include US Olympic Gold Medalist Misty Hyman, US Olympic medalist Maritza Correia, the first African-American female to make the US Olympic Team, and Olympic medalist and 2009 World Champion Matt Targett.

The cost for registration is $75 per person. All participants will receive a gift bag with a Speedo t-shirt, event program, TYR swim cap, and samples from companies including Powerbar, UltraSwim and Chocolate #9. For more information or to register online, visit the Fitter & Faster Tour Augusta website.