Local Athletes Head to Buffalo for Summer Games

Amateur athletes across New York State, including Commack residents, have signed up to compete in the four-day Olympic-like challenge that is the Empire State Games.

Several Commack residents will be participating in the games. They include:

• Kerry Haller, scholastic women's basketball
• Colleen Walker, scholastic women's basketball
• John Hickey, scholastic men's hockey
• Briana Campisi, open women's soccer
• Maggie O'callaghan, open women's soccer
• Thomas Harty,  scholastic men's track and field
• Mark Milo, scholastic men's wrestling 

The Empire State Games is part of a program, run by the NYS Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation department, that hosts winter and summer games, games for the physically challenged and senior games. These games began in the summer of 1978 and the winter of 1980, and are held all over the State.

"A university or government department will send a proposal and we evaluate it based on their ability to host the games and the crowd," Director Fred Smith said.

In 2009 the State cut the games out of the budget, but with a "tightening of their belts and a few good sponsors, they're back on track," Smith said.

The games will be held from July 21-25 at the University of Buffalo, but Smith said that's not the only place they'll be in Buffalo.

"If there's a blade of grass or a hardwood floor, we're using it. We're using all the Universities in the area and some community colleges," Smith said.

The games consist of three divisions of amateur competition in a variety of sports, including lacrosse, basketball, tennis, fencing, and track and field. The three divisions are the scholastic, open and masters, defined by age and experience. Some sports also have their own requirements.

In order to qualify for the scholastic division athletes must be 17 years old or younger. Baseball, field hockey, and wrestling require that athletes be 13 or older.

Open division must be 18 years or older with only a few exceptions to the rule. The sport of synchronized swimming allows athletes as young as 12 years old to compete and open division boxing allows competitiors aged 17 or older.

The masters division has multiple age range cutoffs for competing athletes. Rugby, sailing and other water sports require athletes to be 18 or older. Thirty-five is the cutoff age to take part in golf and 50 is the lowest age for sports such as archery, bowling and fencing.

Champions compete for gold, silver and bronze medals in their respective sports, but Smith said that's not the only thing they compete for.
"Yes, they get medals, and more importantly, bragging rights," Smith said.
Scholarships, Smith said, are also being worked out.
"One of our sponsors, First Niagara Bank, is in the process of considering award some sort of scholarship program to these athletes, although we don't know all the details yet. It's still in the works," Smith said.

If you're one of these athletes listed, write to Patch. We'd like to interview you for a feature article.