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 Inducts Three Into the 2026 Hall of Fame

August 26, 2026

Representative Patricia Haddad (legislative leadership), Representative John Barrett (legislative leadership), and Ryan McCarthy (baseball coach) have been selected for induction into the 2026 Bay State Games’ Hall of Fame. The inductees will receive their award at a pre-game ceremony at Fenway Park on Sunday, June 14 prior to the Red Sox game against Texas. The Bay State Games Hall of Fame was created to recognize past participants who have gone on to prestigious and successful athletic careers, as well as former and current coaches, officials, sports organizers, and volunteers who have made significant contributions to the organization throughout its 38-year history. Past inductees among the over 60 previous honorees include the NBA’s Dana Barros (‘06), Pat Connaughton (‘25) and the late Reggie Lewis (‘02); WNBA’s Rebecca Lobo (‘03); Major League Baseball’s Rich Hill (‘13); Olympians Nancy Kerrigan (‘07), Ada Korkhin (‘25) and Samantha Livingstone (‘18) and US Paralympic Gold Medalist Joe Lemar (‘15). “The Bay State Games is proud of the many athletes who have participated in the program and gone on to achieve success at the collegiate, professional, and Olympic levels. We are equally proud of the coaches, sport organizers, community leaders, and supporters whose dedication, expertise, and generosity have helped make the Bay State Games possible.” Said Kevin Cummings, the Bay State Games Executive Director. “We are honored to recognize this year's Hall of Fame class and celebrate the significant contributions each inductee has made to the Bay State Games. Their commitment, leadership, and lasting impact have strengthened the organization and enriched the experience of countless athletes throughout the Commonwealth.” REP. PATRICIA HADDAD - LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP Massachusetts State Representative Patricia Haddad championed state support for the Bay State Games for over two decades. She has supported the recreation, health, and education-based programs of the organization that benefit thousands of Massachusetts participants each year. A former teacher for 14 years, Rep. Haddad represented the 5th Bristol District for 25 years and served as Speaker Pro Tempore of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for ten years. REP. JOHN BARRETT - LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP Massachusetts State Representative John Barrett from Berkshire County has been a strong supporter of the Bay State Games since the mid-1980s. Rep. Barrett was instrumental in bringing the Winter Games to Berkshire County, where they have been held for over 35 years. He has served as State Representative for Berkshire County since 2017 and was formerly Mayor of North Adams for 26 years. Rep. Barrett is also a leading advocate of the statewide Summer Games. RYAN MCCARTHY - BASEBALL COACH Ryan McCarthy from Portsmouth has served as volunteer baseball coach at the Bay State Games for over two decades. He has led the Northeast team to numerous championship medals. Ryan has devoted more than 25 years to coaching high school student-athletes in both baseball and football at Triton Regional High School, Newburyport High School, and Dighton-Rehoboth High School. He has had a positive impact on countless Massachusetts high school student-athletes. For more on the Bay State Games Hall of Fame and past inductees, click here. https://www.baystategames.org/hall-of-fame

Bay State Games Announces 2026 Athletes of the Year

August 25, 2026

Bay State Games is excited to announce its selections for the 2026 Athlete of the Year Awards. Any athlete who participated in the 2026 Bay State Summer or Winter Games was eligible to be nominated for these awards. Selection is based on participation in the Games and other athletic achievements. The 2026 selections are: Female Youth Athlete – Dana Howling Wolf Keller Male Youth Athlete – Holden Choma Female Adult Athlete – Kiara Cabral Male Adult Athlete - Jacob DeAndrade Dana Howling Wolf Keller , 17, of Shrewsbury, is a senior at Notre Dame Academy in Worcester and an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Native American Tribe. Volleyball has been a major part of her life. She started unable to serve over the net but, after countless hours of dedication, has turned serving into one of her strengths and learned that confidence is built through persistence. Dana plays setter and right side for her high school team and SLAM national club team, and captains both teams. She was named to the 2025 Central MA Athletic Conference All-Star Team and represented her school as a MIAA sportsmanship delegate. Dana represented the Central region for Girls Volleyball in the Bay State Games in 2024 & 2026. This year, she was also named the sportsmanship recipient for the Central Girls Volleyball team. Dana has also been a Bay State Games High School Ambassador. She has committed to continue playing volleyball in college at the University of St. Joseph (CT). Off the court, Dana extensively volunteers at the Shrewsbury Public Library and Shrewsbury Special Olympics. Notre Dame Academy honored her with the Katherine Forbes Eskrine Award for her community service. Dana is also active in her parish's youth group and has participated in several Catholic leadership programs. She aspires to become a forensic pathologist, and last summer served as a lab assistant to Dr. Ann Burgess in Boston College's Forensic Science Summer Program. Holden Choma, 17, of West Newbury, is a senior at Pentucket Regional High School. Holden has competed in Track and Field since his freshman year and specializes in the high jump. He dedicated himself to jumping higher, and in his first year, he improved from 5'2 to 6'6.75, and was at the top of the MIAA. He is also a 2x USATF Region 1 champion in the high jump. He also competed at the 2025 USATF Junior Olympics and was the 15-16 National Runner-Up. This year he faced a setback after suffering a patellar tendon tear on his jumping leg. After nearly a year to fully heal, he was the MIAA Division 5 champion in the spring, and this summer he competed in his second Bay State Games after winning silver in the 2025 high jump. Holden broke his slump by shattering a 30-year-old Bay State Games record in the high jump at 2.05m (6'8.75) and took home the gold medal. Outside of jumping, Holden enjoys volunteering at Ipswich Junior Sailing, teaching children how to sail safely, and now works as an instructor. As a member of his school's band, he marched in West Newbury's Veterans Day Parade and held a private performance for local veterans. Kiara Cabral, 23, of Somerset, is a recent graduate of Bridgewater State University. She also competed as a student-athlete on the track and field team in sprinting events. She had a storied career as a Bridgewater State Bear achieving accolades from the school to the national level. Kiara was named 2026 Woman’s Athlete of the Year by Bridgewater State and holds five school records in 60m Indoor, 200m Indoor, 400m Indoor + Outdoor, 500m Indoor, and 4x100 Outdoor. In the MASCAC conference she holds six championship titles which she earned from 2022 to 2026. The conference named Kiara Athlete of the Week on 21 occasions and she holds two conference records in the 4x100 and the 400m. Kiara was placed on the All-Academic team for three seasons and the Sportsmanship team once. She has been nationally recognized as an NCAA All-American and qualified for both the indoor and outdoor nationals in 2025 and the indoor nationals again in 2026. Kiara was first team All-American in the outdoor 4x100 relay in 2025 and the indoor 400m in 2026, and was named second team All-American for outdoor 400m in 2025. This summer, Kiara competed in the Bay State Games in the 100m and 200m events. She was the gold medalist in both events running a time of 12.51 in the 100m and 25.35 in the 200m. Kiara graduated last spring with a degree in Mathematics and Secondary Education. She has always had a passion for helping children understand and enjoy math, and will enter her first year teaching middle school math this fall. Jacob DeAndrade, 26 , of Foxboro, graduated from Bridgewater State University in 2024 with a Master of Business Administration and currently works in finance. Jacob was an accomplished student-athlete at Bridgewater State. In his rookie season at Bridgewater State, the school named him Rookie of the Year. He was a 10x Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference champion and a 3x member of the DIII All-Academic team. He is a 2x competitor in the Bay State Games Track and Field event. This year, Jacob had an especially impressive showing, earning gold in the 100m Open and 200m Open events with times of 10.83 and 22.04. In his free time, Jacob enjoys running, lifting, and playing soccer. Bay State Games Athlete of the Year recipients will receive a plaque commemorating their accomplishment. For more information on the Bay State Games Athlete of the Year program and past winners, go to www.baystategames.org/AOY .