Bay State Games Announces 2022 Athletes of the Year

September 6, 2022

Bay State Games is excited to announce they have selected its Athletes of the Year. This award is based on participation in the Games and other athletic achievements. The 2022 selections for Athlete of the Year are:

Female Youth Athlete – Erika Blanchard

Male Youth Athlete – Delmace Mayo

Male Adult Athlete - Michael Lipp

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Erika Blanchard is a native Norton, MA and a rising senior at Southeastern Regional Vocational High School. Erika has competed in soccer, track and field, surfing, futsal, and footgolf over the last 12 years. Erika has participated in every BSG footgolf competition since the sport was added in 2019, winning a silver medal her first year and back-to-back golds in 2021 and 2022.

Outside of Bay State Games, Erika volunteers at the Epilepsy Foundation of New England, Brockton Charity Guild Food Drive, and is on the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Student Athletic Advisory Board, and a Bay State Games High School Ambassador. Erika was named MIAA Rookie of the Year in 2019 and a Commonwealth of Massachusetts House of Representatives Scholar Recognition Recipient. In her upcoming senior soccer season, she will serve as team captain.

According to her high school soccer coach, “Erika is undoubtedly a courageous and brave young woman; with a drive to succeed both on and off the field. She is passionate about the development of skills and feels that the participation in sports is very important for young adults.”

Delmace Mayo is a thriving 16-year-old from Jamaica Plain, MA. Delmace has competed in Bay State Games in the Para Track & Field meet for two years and is undefeated. In 2022, he won three gold medals breaking the meet record in each of his events. Shortly after the 2022 Bay State Games meet Delmace went to the Move United Sport Junior National Championships in Denver, CO and came home with a 7 gold medals (1500M, 800M, 400M, 100M, discus, javelin, and shot put) and one silver medal (Universal Relay). Sports ’N Spokes Magazine named Delmace the Junior Athlete of the Year following his performance at the meet. Delmace continued his busy summer when he competed in the Falmouth Road Race alongside some of the best para athletes in the world. He was also presented with the George McLaughlin Junior Athlete Achievement Award by the Tolland Fund in August.

Delmace was born in Haiti. He was adopted at the age of 4 and moved to Boston. A student at Boston Green Academy in Brighton, he competes on the Brighton High School track & field team. He was named Boston Public Schools Male Track Athlete of the Year as a freshman and earned Adaptive Sports USA High School All-American honors in 2021 for the 100M. Outside of track & field, Delmace also competes in wheelchair basketball, sled hockey, and wheelchair motocross. He competed in Wheelchair Motocross World Championships three times, earning a silver medal and two gold. In addition, Delmace has raised thousands of dollars for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, an organization aimed at providing support, opportunities, and hope to individuals with physical challenge so they can pursue.

Delmace is currently training for the Hartford Half Marathon in October and the Boston Half Marathon in November on top of his preparations for the start of winter track season at his high school and his wheelchair basketball and sled hockey seasons in September.

Michael Lipp, 68, is a resident of Dartmouth, MA who has been competing in pickleball for 6 years. He has competed in the last two Bay State Games Pickleball tournaments, earning a bronze medal in the 2022 Men’s Doubles 3.0 bracket. Michael competed in the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida in April 2022, winning a silver medal in singles parapickleball division and a bronze medal in doubles. Michael’s level of play has earned him a sponsorship from Selkirk, a pickleball equipment brand. Michael is a retired elementary education teacher and life coach. According to his playing partner, Shaun Stanton, “Mike is an outstanding person with an ambassador's demeanor. Mike has polio and plays Pickleball from his wheelchair. He is an outstanding example of athletic perseverance and sportsmanship.”

Individuals chosen as Bay State Games Athlete of the Year were also submitted for recognition as the National State Games Athlete of the Year. The winners will be announced in late September. The other National Athlete of the Year recipients will be recognized at the National Congress of State Games annual symposium on October 26 at the SportsTravel Awards Luncheon in Oklahoma City.

For more information on the Bay State Games Athlete of the Year program and past winners, go to www.baystategames.org/AOY.

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Bay State Games Announces 2025 Future Leaders Scholarship Recipients

November 18, 2025

The Bay State Games has selected six statewide scholarship recipients for the 2025 Future Leaders Scholarship Program. These student-athletes were selected from a large applicant pool after a process that included committee reviews of all applications and virtual interviews with selected applicants. These future leaders were selected based on their achievements and involvement in academics, community service, athletics, and leadership roles. The Bay State Games Future Leaders Scholarship program was established in 1989 and has since distributed nearly $400,000 in financial aid. Each of these high school seniors will receive a $1,000 scholarship for their first year of college. “Bay State Games is proud to continue the Future Leaders Scholarship program which since 1989 has provided over $400,000 in aid to support the continuing education of outstanding young leaders." said Kevin Cummings, Executive Director of the Bay State Games. “These well deserving student-athletes have excelled in the classroom, on the field and in the community, representing a variety of schools, sports and regions across Massachusetts” This year’s six scholarship recipients are Elyse Bissada, Brooke Blahut, Abigail Howie, Olivia Laaper, Sabina Mackechnie, Molly McIntyre. Elyse Bissada is a senior at Dover-Sherborn High School, where she is a four-year varsity field hockey and track & field athlete, as well as the team captain for both sports. In 2025, Elyse was a member of the Bay State Games Southeast field hockey team where she won a gold medal. Elyse is the founder of the Veterinary Medicine Club at her school and in her free time volunteers at local farms and Animal Rescue Leagues across the state. Elyse has committed to play field hockey and study biology at Hamilton College, where she plans to pursue veterinary medicine and ultimately establish an affordable low-cost clinic that serves her community. Brooke Blahut is a senior at North Quincy High School where she is a 4-year varsity member of the soccer team, and captain of the varsity ice hockey team. Brooke is also a well accomplished figure skater. She began skating at age 2 at Winterland Skating School and is now a U.S. Figure Skating Gold Medalist. Brooke has participated in Bay State Games annually since 2016, medaled 6 times, and is a 4-year Bay State Games High School Ambassador. Brooke is also the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Ambassador for NQHS. Brooke is Vice President of her class, a member of the National Honor Society and Science National Honor Society and academically ranks in the top 5% of her class with a 4.6 GPA. Brooke is a two-time team leader and participant in the FBI Teen Leadership Academy and plans to pursue her master’s in forensic science and criminology and become an FBI Special Agent. Abigail Howie is a senior at Wilmington High School, where she is on the varsity soccer team and is captain of the Winter and Spring Track teams. Abigail serves as President of Student Council and the Wildcat Service Council, where she founded the “Bridging Generations” community initiative. She is a member of the National Honor Society, DECA, and Best Buddies. Abigail coaches a Wilmington fourth-grade team and is a USSF-certified soccer referee. She has most recently created an Alzheimer's Awareness community service project for her senior year. She hopes to continue her athletic career in college while studying sports management and marketing. Olivia Laaper resides in Stow and is a senior at Fusion Academy in Burlington. Laaper has been a captain of multiple high school sports teams including Track & Field and Swimming. Olivia is captain of her archery team at Riverside Archers and has won multiple medals in archery at Bay State Games and state competitions. Beyond athletics, Olivia has gained hands-on experience in emergency medicine as a high school intern with Pro EMS and plans to take her EMT certification this fall. She gives back to her community by lifeguarding and coaching youth swimming at Goldfish Swim School, volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters and at local food banks. In college, Olivia plans to pursue a degree in nursing with a minor in emergency medicine and psychology. Sabina Mackechnie is a senior at East Longmeadow High School where she is a three sport athlete and captain in Soccer, Basketball and Lacrosse. She has earned all-league and second-team All-Western Mass honors in soccer and lacrosse. Sabina has been a By State Games Ambassador for two years and is a member of her school's Athletic Leadership Council and Pink Ribbon Club. Sabina participates in canned food drives and fundraisers for her school sports teams. Sabina will continue her lacrosse career at Springfield College while pursuing a degree in Education. Molly McIntyre is a senior at Norton High School where she is a three-sport captain in cross country, basketball, and outdoor track, earning multiple TVL All-Star honors, and MVP awards. Molly serves in key leadership roles on Student Council, DECA, Best Buddies, and five National Honor Societies. She volunteers at local youth sports programs, community events, and the MSG Gregory Trent Foundation. Molly works part-time at a donut shop and local ice cream store. She plans on attending Stonehill College where she will compete in track and study Finance and Marketing. For more information on the Future Leaders Scholarship Program, click here. For a list of past recipients and the colleges and universities they've attended, click here . About the Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation/Bay State Games The Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was established in 1982 to host the first sanctioned state games of the Commonwealth. It operates with the mission of promoting personal development, education, physical fitness, teamwork, and sportsmanship to Massachusetts citizens of all ages and abilities. The Foundation is recognized for hosting high quality, Olympic-style events through the Bay State Summer and Winter Games, as well as educational programs, including the Future Leaders Scholarship Program, and the High School Ambassador Program.