Let the Games begin. Team Maryland has officially touched down in Lincoln, Neb., to begin play at the 2010 USA National Games. From July 18-23, a group of 37 Special Olympics athletes from Maryland - cheered on by their coaches, family members and support staff - will compete in the 2010 USA National Games. Team Maryland will participate in seven sports: aquatics, athletics, basketball, bowling, powerlifting, rhythmic gymnastics and unified volleyball. The team will return to Maryland on Saturday, July 24.

Team Maryland-National Games Media Center

Click here for up-to-date results on Team Maryland, posted at the competition's official website. Click here for the official website of the USA National Games. For daily coverage of the games by the Lincoln Journal Star, click here. Below are biographies written on a select number of participating athletes, written by the PR staff at SOMD.  Click here for the complete delegation list. Click here to read media coverage of Team Maryland at the National Games.

Team Maryland National Games Results

Below are a few results of Team Maryland at the National Games. For the entire list of results, click here.

Medal Count: 28 (10 Gold, 10 silver, 8 bronze), 19 ribbons

The team will return to Maryland on Saturday, July 24.

Friday, July 23:

Unified Volleyball Team (St. Mary's): Silver Medal

Basketball Team (St. Mary's): Fourth Place

Single's Men's Bowling:

Kegan Zimmerman, St. Mary's: Bronze Medal,

Carlos Ocasio, Anne Arundel: 4th Place

Thursday, July 22:

Team Bowling:

Kegan Zimmerman (St. Mary's), Carlos Ocasio (Anne Arundel), Dellareese Cooper (Baltimore City) and Michele Jackson (Lower Shore): 5th Place

Aquatics:

Megan Diaz, Anne Arundel: Gold Medal, 50-Meter Freestyle; Silver Medal, 25-Meter Freestyle

Kyle Russell, St. Mary's: Gold Medal, 50-Meter Backstroke

RJ Nealon, Upper Shore: Gold Medal, 100-Meter Freestyle

Kiera Burgett, Swimming, Anne Arundel: Silver Medal, 100-Yard Breastroke; Gold Medal, 100-Yard Butterfly; Silver Medal, 4 x 50 Yard Relay

Athletics:

4 x 25 Meter Team Relay: 4th Place, Jay Cromwell (Montgomery), Brandon Brown (Baltimore County), Hannah Hart (Anne Arundel) and Lori Plaxen (Montgomery)

Hannah Hart, Anne Arundel: Silver Medal, 100-Meters

Jay Cromwell, Montgomery: Silver Medal, 100-Meters

Brandon Brown, Baltimore County: 6th Place, 100-Meters

Hannah Hart, Running Long Jump: DQ (She bettered her distance and set a personal-best)

Lori Plaxen, Montgomery: Participant Ribbon, Running Long Jump

Powerlifting:

Ken Long, Howard County: Silver Medal, Bench Press; Bronze Medal, Deadlift; Bronze Medal, Combination (Bench + Deadlift total)

A portion of Team Maryland pose with Kenny Long, in blue, after he wins a silver medal and two bronze medals in powerlifting

Wednesday, July 21:

Aquatics:

Kyle Russell, St. Mary's: Bronze Medal, 50-Meter Freestyle

RJ Nealon, Upper Shore: 4th Place, 50-Meter Freestyle

Megan Diaz, Anne Arundel: 5th Place, 25-Meter Backstroke

Bowling:

Carlos Ocasio (Anne Arundel) and Kegan Zimmerman (St. Mary's): 4th Place, Men's Doubles

Alissa Ogden and Michele Jackson (Lower Shore): 5th Place, Women's Doubles

Unified Volleyball Team, St. Mary's: Competing in Medal Round. Play Thursday and Friday

Rhythmic Gymnastics:

Sedi D'Andrea-Penna, Frederick, Level 1:

Rope-Bronze Medal; Hoop-5th Place; Ribbon-Bronze Medal; Ball-4th Place; All-Around-4th Place

Candance Whiting, Frederick, Level 3:

Rope-Gold Medal; Clubs-Gold Medal; Ball-Gold Medal; Ribbon-Gold Medal; All-Around-Gold Medal

Athletics:

Jay Cromwell, Montgomery Co.: Silver Medal, Men's 400-Meter

Lori Plaxen, Montgomery Co.: 4th Place, Women's 400 Meter

Lori Plaxen, Montgomery Co.: Gold Medal, 200-Meter

Jay Cromwell, Montgomery Co.: Silver Medal, 200-Meter

Hannah Hart, Anne Arundel: 4th Place, 200-Meter

Brandon Brown, Baltimore County: 4th Place, 200-Meter

Tuesday, July 20:

Bowling, Women's Singles:

Michele Jackson, Lower Shore: 5th Place

Alisa Ogden: 7th Place

Women's Powerlifting:

Kiri Less, Upper Shore: Deadlift (2nd Place); Bench Press (3rd Place); Combined (Deadlift + Bench) (3rd Place)

Maryland volleyball player Shaun Ridley, St. Mary's,right, receives a handshake from Tom Hoff, captain of the 2008 U.S. Olympic gold-medal winning volleyball team. Photo by Gwyneth Roberts, Lincoln Journal Star.

Click the the athletes photos, or names, below for their individual bios.