SSG Water Polo closes out full month of events in Coral Springs
TALLAHASSEE – The yellow ball will be in play this weekend as 49 teams are playing in the SSG Water Polo Championships at Coral Springs Aquatic Center. The Water Polo Championships close out the final weekend of a full calendar of events during the month of June.
Over 8,000 of Florida’s Finest Amateur Athletes have competed in Sunshine State Games events since February.
Competition begins at 9:40 a.m. Friday morning at the Coral Springs Aquatic Center and concludes on Sunday afternoon.
Among the teams competing in age groups beginning at 12 and under Coed Division through an adult open division, is the Riptide Women’s Open team, winners of the gold medal in its division for five consecutive years, since 2010.
Last weekend, over 700 athletes competed in the Sunshine State Games Track and Field and Table Tennis Championships.
The Table Tennis Championships, held at Simpson Park Community Center in Lakeland, saw a Games record number of participants. According to Tournament Director, Brad Woodington, it was also a record number of entries for Table Tennis in the various state games around the nation.
Players from all parts of Florida and from four additional states were in action over two days of play on 24 tables at the Simpson Park Community Center, and several of the skill-level divisions had as many as 34 players registered.
Florida’s highest rated active Table Tennis player, Vinay Desai, of Miramar, and his father, Phil, won gold medals during the two days of play held on Father’s Day weekend. While Vinay won the two most competitive divisions, the Open and Under 2500 Division, gold medals, Phil won the Under 2000 division. Also winning a pair of gold medals was Sherlyn Barvie Perez, of Tampa, who won the Under 2300 and Under 2200 divisions while winning a silver medal in the Under 2000 and a bronze in the Under 2100 division.
Florida’s Track and Field stars of the future competed alongside its current champions at Punta Gorda High School in the Youth Meet on Saturday in Charlotte County.
Representing the St. Pete Nitro club and Lakewood High School, Terence Ware, staked the claim as the “Fastest Man at the Sunshine State Games Youth Championships,” running the 100 meter dash in 10.87 seconds. Malik Wright, of the Track Heads Club, and Alex Gray, also of St. Pete Nitro, were close on his heels with times of 10.90 and 10.95, respectively.
Ware was a second-place finisher at the FHSAA Class 2A State Championships running the 100 meters in 10.64 in May.
The top three women’s discus throws came from the 15-16 year old division as Rikaya Williams, of St. Pete Nitro, led the with a throw of 97 feet. T’erra Johnson, of the Christian Cruisers was right behind with a throw of 96 feet and Elyssa Paulding finished third, throwing 93 feet. Only one other female competitor threw over 90 feet, 17-year old Trinavia Williams, 91 feet in the next age group.
After this weekend’s championships, the Sunshine State Games Calendar takes a break until the fall when the SSG Sport Shooting Festivals return in October and November. The Sunshine State Games Lacrosse Fall Championships will be held in November.
For more info on the Sunshine State Games, Florida’s only Olympic-style Sports Festival and the nation’s longest continuous years-running State Games, please visit www.flasports.com.
