Local Athletes to Compete in Empire State Games

Four local athletes will be representing Merrick at the 2010 Empire State Games, which run from July 21-25 in upstate New York.

Patrick Condon is a defenseman on the scholastic men's ice hockey team.  Paige Vadnais will compete in the track & field scholastic women's heptathlon. Mark Schur will play as a setter on the open division volleyball team.  Andrew Ferrazzoli will compete in the open men's weightlifting division.

Carla Miguel, of Bellmore, an 11th grader at Calhoun High School, will also be playing fullback/midfielder with the scholastic women's soccer team. 

There are three divisions of competitors. The open division are age 18 and older as of August 31 of the year. The scholastic division are age 17 and younger as of August 31. 

Qualified finalists in the scholastic division will be provided with campus housing, breakfast and dinner, 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/.