The state's top female athlete in the 2007 State Games of America will be back in action at the 2008 State Games of the West in Colorado Springs this month, July 24-27.

Cheyenne Mountain High grad Gina Rhue will compete in the new Open Water Swimming events at Colorado Springs' Prospect Lake in Memorial Park and take part in the torch run during the Opening Ceremony on the evening of July 24 at the Colorado Springs World Arena.

Rhue won 10 State Games of America medals in her 12 swimming events at the U.S. Olympic Training Center last summer (7 gold, 2 silver and one bronze), the most by any of the 564 swimmers from around the nation to earn the honor as Colorado's top female Athlete of the Year during the national event.

She was a top three-sport varsity athlete at CMHS (swimming, cross country, track & field) and did double duty during the 2007 Games as a sport Red Hat volunteer when she was not in the pool. Prior to the Games, she volunteered and worked at assembling athlete packets, medals, credentials, and sorting volunteer t-shirts.

At Cheyenne Mountain High, she was the swimming team's MVP this year, and during her high school stint, she was the yearbook editor, made the CHSAA Academic all-state first team, and was named to the Colorado Springs Gazette's all-area girls swimming first team.

This fall, she's headed to NAIA swimming power California Baptist University on a scholarship to become part of a collegiate team that has won four consecutive women's national titles, and three straight men's crowns.

Athletes from 71 Colorado cities and towns have registered to compete in the State Games of the West this month to date.