Powerade State Games of North Carolina Concludes 2nd Year in Triangle with 789 Teams and 13,377 Athletes Participating

Powerade State Games of North Carolina Concludes 2nd Year in Triangle with 789 Teams and 13,377 Athletes Participating

DURHAM, North Carolina, – North Carolina’s largest multi-sport, amateur athletic sporting event wrapped up a two year run in the Triangle, with the last day of events held on June 26th. Over 13,000 athletes and nearly 800 teams participated in the 30th edition of the Powerade State Games. Raleigh, Cary and Durham all hosted competition throughout the month of June at world-class facilities throughout the region, such as the USA Baseball National Training Center, North Carolina State University, Duke University, WRAL Soccer park, Raleigh Convention Center, WakeMed Soccer Park and the Triangle Table Tennis Center, to name a few.

The Powerade State Games featured more athletes, more venues and more hours of competition than the Olympic Games will have in Rio this summer. Medal winners at the 2016 Powerade State Games qualified for the 2017 State Games of America in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Some highlights of this year’s Games include:

– 13,377 athletes and 789 teams from 92 North Carolina counties and South Carolina participated in 26 different sports. Please contact chip@ncsports.org for a list of participants, teams and medal winners from each county.
– Over 1,500 athletes competed at Durham County Stadium for the Track & Field Meet, which included several former Olympians and Olympic hopefuls.
– Opening Ceremonies was held at WRAL Soccer Park, complete with a five plane flyover and Wool E. Bull lighting the cauldron.
– The Raleigh Convention Center hosted the High School Basketball Tournament, with four courts constructed in Exhibit Hall A. A full-court shot from the tournament made it to Number 1 on SportsCenter’s Top Plays – https://youtu.be/3zK2s5CZ6kk?t=2m26s
– The Disc Golf Tournament was held at the American Tobacco Campus on a one-of-a-kind course that wound through the campus and into the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
– More than 100 college coaches and professional scouts from various states attended the high school competitions for baseball, soccer, softball, lacrosse and basketball for recruiting.
– More than 60 ice hockey teams participated in two weekends of tournaments for adult and youth teams at the Polar Ice Houses in Wake County.
– Pickleball set a Powerade State Games participation record with 186 competitors competing at the Sheffield Indoor Tennis Complex at Duke University.

The Powerade State Games will move to the Piedmont Triad (Winston-Salem, Greensboro, High Point and Burlington) for 2017 and 2018. Charlotte will host the Games in 2019 and 2020.

The 2016 Powerade State Games of North Carolina corporate partners include: Powerade, BB&T, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Lowes Foods, Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, Visit Raleigh, Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, Visit NC, Capitol Broadcasting Company, Durham Bulls, Jimmy John’s Sandwiches, Dicks’s Sporting Goods, Sheetz, Orthopaedic Specialists of NC, Fairway Outdoor Advertising, Homewood Suites RDU, Bojangle’s, Systel Office Automation, PDQ and York Properties. If you are interested in becoming a partner of the 2017 Powerade State Games; contact North Carolina Amateur Sports at 919-361-1133 ext. 233.

ABOUT THE POWERADE STATE GAMES OF NORTH CAROLINA
The Powerade State Games are one of the oldest, largest and most successful State Games programs in the United States. There are currently 30+ State Games programs in the United States. The State Games are open to all ages and all skill levels. The average age of the Powerade State Games participants is 16 years old. The State Games are funded by corporate sponsorships, contributions and event revenues.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA AMATEUR SPORTS (NCAS)
North Carolina Amateur Sports is a 501c(3) nonprofit charitable organization that annually organizes the State Games of North Carolina and Cycle North Carolina. NCAS is dedicated to promoting health and wellness for all ages and skill levels through organizing best-in-class sporting events that enrich the quality of life and enhance the economic well-being of North Carolina communities. For more information on NCAS and its events, please access www.ncsports.org.