Locals stand out at Empire State Games

by Eric Keppeler
Tribune, Dispatch, Sentinel, August 9-11, 2007

As usual, the Western Region had a strong showing at the Empire State Games, and a number of local residents played a big part in that success. This year held in Westchester County, near New York City, the 30th annual edition of the games again was dominated by the West.

Niagara-Wheatfield students Kevin Ogiba and Nicholas Melligan were regulars on the score sheet as the scholastic men’s ice hockey team went undefeated and won an amazing eighth straight gold medal. Melligan finished with five goals, while Ogiba – who also won gold with the squad last year – wound up with a goal and five assists.

Melligan got the West started off on the right foot by scoring the team’s first three goals in an 8-1 win over Adirondack. He scored again in a 6-3 win over Central, and also tallied in a 6-4 win over Long Island. Ogiba, playing on the same line as Melligan, had two assists against Adirondack and one against Central. He had one more assist against Long Island and then had a goal and an assist in the gold medal game, a 5-2 victory over Hudson Valley.

Former Niagara-Wheatfield basketball standout Byron Mulkey, the Falcons’ all-time leading scorer and now a member of the University at Buffalo Bulls, helped the Western open men’s team to a gold medal. Mulkey played sparingly in an 83-76 win over New York City, and then scored seven points in a 78-72 loss to Hudson Valley He erupted for 14 points – including four 3-pointers – in a 69-67 win over Central. He scored 14 points again in the gold medal game, a 78-64 win over Hudson Valley to avenge the team’s only defeat in pool play.

Sanborn resident Nicole Irving also notched a gold medal as a member of the Western Region open women’s gymnastics team. Individually, she finished sixth overall in all-around competition.

Angelo Malvestuto, a sophomore at Niagara-Wheatfield, continued his amazing year as a wrestler. After placing fourth in the state at 160 pounds for the Falcons, he went on to the Empire State Games at 178 pounds and came home with a silver medal in scholastic wrestling. Malvestuto went 2-0 in the preliminaries before bowing to Western Region teammate Bryan Bourne in the championship. Falcons teammate Jehad Ali, a senior at N-W, wound up going 1-2 in the preliminaries at 132 pounds and did not advance to the medal round.

Starpoint alum Allie Matters brought home a silver medal as a member of the open women’s volleyball team. Now a standout at Seton Hall, Matters helped the West go 6-4 overall before bowing in the championship to New York City, which claimed a fourth straight gold medal.

Niagara-Wheatfield senior Ashley Beamish helped the Western Region scholastic women’s soccer team to win a bronze medal. The West finished 2-2 overall, losing by a 3-2 score to both Adirondack and Hudson Valley before downing Long Island 3-1. The West then topped Central 3-0 in the bronze medal contest.

Also, Niagara-Wheatfield student Alexxa Poliachik finished 11th in 400 IM in scholastic women’s swimming.

Andrea Favero, a Youngstown resident and a student at Lewiston-Porter High School, helped the scholastic women’s gymnastics team repeat as champions. The West notched the gold medal with a final team score of 171.00. Individually, Favero placed 18th overall in the all-around competition with a score of 31.950.

Lewiston resident Stephen Lopacki notched a pair of bronze medals in the open shooting competition, giving him five medals over the last two years. He teamed with Jason Long of Penfield to take third in the open free pistol competition with a combined score of 2,039. The same duo hooked up to place third in the air pistol match finals with a combined score of 1,100. Individually, Lopacki finished seventh overall in both the first match and finals of the open free pistol, as well as in the individual air pistol. Last year, Lopacki brought home two silvers and a bronze.

Sarah Wilson, a senior at Niagara University and a member of the Purple Eagles women’s basketball team, helped the West to a 2-2 record in the open category. Wilson netted six points in a 78-68 win over New York City and then scored 14 points in a 68-50 loss to Hudson Valley. She followed up with seven points in an 87-82 win over Long Island and finished with two points in a 71-67 loss to New York City in the bronze medal game. The 6-foot-2 forward is a native of St. Catharines, Ontario, and averaged 5.3 points and a team-high 6.7 rebounds off the bench last season for Niagara.

A trio of youngsters from the Lew-Port boys swim team had solid outings in the scholastic men’s bracket. Adam Swift was part of the West’s 800 freestyle relay team that finished fourth overall. Individually, Swift also placed 12th in both the 200 freestyle and the 50 freestyle, and 14th in the 100 freestyle. Nik Curry was on the 400 medley relay team that placed sixth, and he also finished ninth in the 100 butterfly. Nicholas Conde wound up 13th in both the 100 butterfly and in the 50 freestyle.

Wilson resident Andy Anderson competed in open men’s wrestling. Working in the 139-pound Greco-Roman category, Anderson finished 0-3 in the preliminary action. He was pinned by Justice Jones of Central in the opening match, and then pinned by Aljamain Sterling of Long Island in the second match. In his final match, he was decisioned by Cory Dolson of Long Island.

The big winner from Grand Island was Empire State Games veteran Jimmy Pezzino, who competed in scholastic men’s gymnastics and wound up with four medals. He won a gold medal as a member of the Western Region team, which won the team all-around competition with a score of 245.800. Individually, he also won gold in the vault with a score of 9.450. Pezzino added a pair of individual bronze medals, taking third in the horizontal bar with a score of 8.600 and in the parallel bar with a score of 8.250. For good measure, he also finished sixth in the individual all-around with a total score of 47.900.

Grand Island resident Jay Joslyn had another good showing at the games, picking up a trio of medals in open men’s cycling. He won gold as part of the Western Region team in the 40-mile team trial. He added an individual gold medal in the 10-mile race, clocking in at 20:46.46 He won silver in the 31-mile criterium, finishing behind only Joe Zaverdas of Long Island. He also finished 49th overall in the 74-mile road race, one lap down from the winner.

Jessica Remmes picked up a gold medal as a member of the open women’s soccer team. Remmes netter a pair of goals in the first game of the tournament, a 4-0 win over Adirondack. The West also beat Hudson Valley 2-1 on penalty kicks, and then blanked both Long Island and New York City by a 1-0 margin. A 2006 graduate of Grand Island High School and the Vikings’ all-time leading scorer with 168 goals and 107 assists, Remmes now plays at James Madison University.

Benjamin Certo, a student at Grand Island High School, won a gold medal as a member of the scholastic men’s ice hockey team. Certo picked up five assists in five games as the West claimed its eighth straight championship. He had two assists each in a 6-4 win over Long Island and in the 5-2 win over Hudson Valley in the gold medal game. He also chipped in with one assist in an 11-0 win over New York City. The West also posted an 8-1 win over Adirondack and a 6-3 victory over Central.

After winning a gold medal last year with the scholastic team, Jenna Raepple moved up to the open women’s gymnastics team, and the results were the same. The West finished first overall with a team total of 182.350. Individually, Raepple was 16th all-around with a score of 34.550.

Grand Island resident David Hesch won a bronze medal as coach of the open men’s soccer team. The West finished 3-1 in the tournament, topping New York City 4-1 in the bronze medal contest.

Kali Zelakiewicz picked up a pair of assists in helping the scholastic women’s ice hockey team go 3-2 overall. The West team dropped a 5-4 decision to Long Island in the bronze medal game.

Grand Island student Adam Helman wound up ninth overall in the scholastic men’s pole vault, finishing with a height of 3.50 meters.