Staff Reports
Niagara Gazette
GRAND ISLAND —
The Western-most Westerners — athletes from the Niagara Falls area — helped the host region win the medal count at the Empire State Games, which concluded Sunday.
Here’s an unofficial rundown of the local medalists:
• Niagara Falls’ Brandon Joyce won gold in scholastic men’s track, high jumping 1.95 meters, while Wolverines teammate Byron Jones took silver in the triple jump (13.89).
• Niagara-Wheatfield’s Marissa Watroba won three silver medals in scholastic women’s swimming, individually in the 200 medley (two minutes, 33.28 seconds), and the 200 breaststroke (2:52.29), and as the breaststroker on the 400 medley relay team (4.42.56).
• Caitlin Attfield, just a rising junior at Niagara-Wheatfield, went 2 for 4 in the gold medal game as the open women’s softball team defeated Central 3-0. Attfield also went 2 for 4 in the 5-4 semifinal victory over Adirondack.
• Another Niagara-Wheatfield representative, Bryan Komasara, scored a goal in the 7-1 victory over Hudson Valley that gave the scholastic men’s hockey team a gold medal.
• The open women’s soccer team won gold as Breanna Catipovic, a Niagara University recruit, scored both goals in the 2-1 title game win over Central. Ashley Beamish, the Niagara-Wheatfield graduate who now plays at Seton Hall, assisted on one of the goals.
• The open women’s basketball team won silver, with Niagara University’s Liz Flooks scoring 18 points in the 46-37 semifinal win over Central, which was played in 20 minutes. In the 79-69 gold medal game loss to New York City, Flooks had 10 points.
• The open women’s volleyball team, with Starpoint graduate Allie Matters playing libero, won gold with a three-set final match sweep of Adirondack.
• Niagara Falls’ Chris Bagneschi masters men’s gynmastic gold on the horizontal bars, floor exercise and vault.
• Sanborn’s James Allen won gold in the 10K (48:48) and 5K (22:43) open men’s racewalks on the Robert Moses course.
• Lewiston’s Andrew Saubageau won gold as a member of the open men’s rowing eights boat.
• Grand Island’s Jimmy Pezzino won two gold medals and one silver in open men’s gymnastics.
• Grand Island’s Jay Joslyn won gold as a member of the men’s open cycling team, and individually in the time trial ( 21:34.37).
• Cambria’s Jake Brant won gold in the heavyweight division of the open men’s weightlifting event held at Niagara County Community College.
• The scholastic women’s soccer team, with Grand Island’s Jenna Raepple, won silver.
• Lewiston’s Sharon Lopacki won bronze in the open women’s air pistol team match, along with Lockport’s Debra Hahn.
