Mark Walz Honorary Chairman of State Games, Tom Kropp Named Parade Marshal

The Nebraska Sports Council (NSC) has announced that Farmers Mutual of Nebraska CEO Mark Walz has been named the Honorary Chairman of the 2017 Cornhusker State Games (CornhuskerStateGames.com). In addition, Hall of Fame Kearney State basketball player and 25-year UNK Head Coach Tom Kropp has been named the Honorary Parade Marshal of the Opening Ceremonies.

The title of Honorary Chairman is generally reserved for the leader of a longtime sponsor of the Games. Farmers Mutual of Nebraska supports the Games at the highest level (Platinum) and has been a sponsor since 1987. Two of Walz’s predecessors at Farmers Mutual, Larry Frazier and Byron Boslau, served as honorary chairmen in previous decades. Farmers Mutual (FMNE.com), founded in 1891, is the leading insurer of farms in both Nebraska and South Dakota, and is the largest Nebraska-based insurer of homes, farms and automobiles in Nebraska. Walz, a Lincoln native and Lincoln East graduate, has participated in both swimming and triathlon in the Cornhusker State Games.

Kropp, a native of Aurora, is a member of four Halls of Fame, including the University of Nebraska-Kearney, NAIA, Nebraska Football and Nebraska High School Sports. While he is best known for his stellar basketball career, Kropp starred in four sports for Aurora High School from 1967-71, earning all-state in both football and basketball and the title of Nebraska Athlete of the Year as a senior in 1971. He contributed to six state high school team championships in three different sports, threw a no-hitter in the state Legion baseball tournament, won the shot put at state with a toss of 56’ 6 ¾” and rushed for 1,015 yards his senior season in football. He also played football at Kearney State and was a two-time Nebraska State College Athlete of the Year. After college, he was drafted by the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers, the ABA’s Denver Nuggets, and the NBA’s Washington Bullets. He signed with the Bullets and was traded to the Chicago Bulls. Later he played professional basketball in Belgium from 1979-1983. Sports Illustrated named him one of Nebraska’s 50 greatest athletes of the 20th century. As the head coach at UNK from 1990 to 2015, Kropp’s teams went 482-245 from 1990 to 2015.

The 2017 Cornhusker State Games take place July 21-30 with competition in more than 60 sports at venues in Lincoln, Omaha and surrounding communities. Register or find more information about the Cornhusker State Games at CornhuskerStateGames.com.