Area Athletes Gear Up For Empire State Games

It's an Olympic style competition for all of  New York.

The Empire State Games get underway with Opening Ceremonies at the University of Buffalo Wednesday and Massapequa will be well represented.

Eighteen area athletes are set to compete in the games which run from July 21 to July 25

Massapequan athletes scheduled to compete are:

• Cyclists Paul Coluccio and Toby Ring
• Ice Hockey players Dana Demartino, Ashley Wade and Thomas Dorsey
• Lacrosse players Kelly McPartland and Robert Enright
• Shooting team member Dennis Hearn
• Pole Vaulters Tobie Langsam and Andrea Bourgal
• Discus Thrower Meghan Porr
• Triple Jumper Heather Sweeney
• Long Jumper Joe Caraciola
• 800 meter runner Nicholas Deluna
• Freestyle Wrestlers Daniel Bittner and Rudy Lanzillotta
• Greco Roman Wrestlers Justin Paradiso and Chris Sarro

There are three divisions of competitors. The Open Division are age 18 and older as of Aug. 31 of the year of the Games. Scholastic Division are age 17 and younger as of Aug. 31 of the year of the Games. Qualified finalists in the Scholastic Division will be provided with campus housing, breakfast and dinner as well as regional bus transportation to the finals locations. The Masters Division of the Empire State Games is a program conducted for New York State residents consisting of 13 sports for men and women. Athletes compete against others in age brackets determined by the individual sports for gold, silver and bronze medals. Each sport has its own minimum age requirement.

According to the website, Empire State Games is the largest competition of its kind in the nation. The Games is a multi-sport event for amateur athletes, patterned after the Olympic program. Athletes must be NYS residents. Following competition (Regional Trials) in each of six regions of NYS, winners numbering some 6,000 will participate in finals competition.

For complete schedules and ticket information, visit http://www.empirestategames.org/summer/sched/.