Mike Ridaught
The Olympics have arrived.
Well, sort of.
This weekend athletes around the state of Florida will continue a tradition of amateur competition that symbolizes the true spirit of Olympic-style sports in the nation’s longest standing State Games.
Sunshine State Games, presented by Amazon, is an Olympic-style festival program created throughout the state for amateur athletes of all ages and skill levels. Florida’s citizens have the opportunity and incentive to develop their physical talents and competitive abilities.
From archery and artistic swimming, to fencing and Ultimate, a non-contact, self-officiated disc sport played by two teams of seven players, the Sunshine State Games will provide quality competition for Florida’s amateur athletes of all ages and skill levels
The Sunshine State Games Alachua County Festival began this morning with the Artistic Swimming at the H. Spurgeon Cherry Northside Pool in Gainesville, but most of the competition begins on Saturday.
Over 700 amateur athletes will be in action in four Alachua County locations, and they range in age from 5 to 82 years old.
It marks the 20th time that the Sunshine State Game events have been held in Gainesville/Alachua County since the Games inception in 1980.
Here are some of the highlights for the Sunshine State Games Alachua County Festival, June 9-11:
- 108 Archers taking aim at Gator Bowmen Archery.
- 273 Artistic Swimmers in the water at H. Spurgeon Cherry Northside Pool.
- 130 Fencers on the strips at the Legacy Park Multipurpose Center.
- 14 Ultimate Teams, 6 mixed, 8 men’s teams on the field at the Jonesville Soccer Complex. 280 Players from 17 to 62 years old. TempRoar, from Bradenton, returns to defend its 2022 Men’s Division Championship and B-Unit, from Gainesville, was a Mixed Silver Medal Winning Team in 2022.
- Five-year-old Eva Torres, from Pembroke Pines, and 82-year-old Laurel Cain, of Lakeland, will compete in Artistic Swimming. Pensacola archer, Donald Hires, is also competing at 82 years old.
- 94 athletes on the younger side, age 10 and under are registered to compete. One archer, 82 artistic swimmers and 11 fencers. The 8 and under Epee event has nine fencers competing, including 7-year-old James Michlitsch, of Merritt Island.
- 17 athletes on the not so younger side, age 70 and over, will be in action. 13 archers, one artistic swimmer, three fencers are participating.
- Sunshine State Games Ambassador for Fencing, Wayne Frey, has been competing in the Games since 2002. He will compete in five events over two days at the Legacy Park Multipurpose Center. Since 2002, Frey has competed in Sunshine State Games Fencing with his three daughters, Rachel, Claire and Nicole.
- Gainesville’s Amaya Ward will compete in the 8 and under Mixed Foil event on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.
- Matthew Hall, of Valrico, returns to Archery competition, after posting the overall high score, 862, in the Freestyle event at the 2022 Sunshine State Games. Hall will be pulling back the bow with his 16-year-old daughter, Alexis.
- Through this weekend, over 4,800 of Florida’s Finest Athletes have competed in Sunshine State Games events in eight different Florida communities.
SUNSHINE STATE GAMES SCHEDULE, JUNE 9-11 – SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Friday, June 9
7:30 a.m. – Artistic Swimming Begins, H. Spurgeon Cherry Northside Pool, Gainesville
Saturday, June 10
7:30 a.m. – Artistic Swimming Begins, H. Spurgeon Cherry Northside Pool, Gainesville
8:30 a.m. – Fencing Begins, Legacy Park Multipurpose Center, Alachua (Onsite Registration is Available beginning at 7:30 a.m.)
9 a.m. – Archery Begins, Gator Bowmen, Gainesville (Onsite Registration is available beginning at 8 a.m.)
9 a.m. – Ultimate Begins, Jonesville Sports Complex, Gainesville
Sunday, June 11
7:30 a.m. – Artistic Swimming Begins, H. Spurgeon Cherry Northside Pool, Gainesville
8:30 a.m. – Fencing Begins, Legacy Park Multipurpose Center, Alachua (Onsite Registration is Available beginning at 7:30 a.m)
9 a.m. – Archery Begins, Gator Bowmen, Gainesville (Onsite Registration is available beginning at 8 a.m.)
9 a.m. – Ultimate Begins, Jonesville Sports Complex, Gainesville
