Club sweeps four age groups at inaugural National Senior Games Festival

They may not float like butterflies any more, but they can still sting like bees. The four teams from the Michigan Sting Hockey Club that flew to Rhode Island for the Euflexxa Hockey Championships at the inaugural National Senior Games Festival in September all brought home gold. Only one team, the Maryland Gerihatricks of the over-70 division, escaped the wrath of the Sting, which didn't enter an over-70 squad.

"It was an awesome tournament, I'll tell you that," said Phil Parrinello, general manager of the Sting. "The competition was good. The teams that were there were strong. We didn't blow anybody out. The finals were all good, tough games."

The Sting's over-50 Elite squad struck for three second-period goals in less than 2 minutes to erase a 1-0 deficit and propel Michigan to a 4-1 win over the Rhode Island Wings. In the over-50 recreation title tilt, Michigan's John Payotelis scored twice to fuel the Sting's 3-0 upset win in the championship game against the SNVC Hosers of Virginia, avenging an earlier 3-0 loss to the Hosers in pool play. The Sting's Sean Joyce earned the shutout as goalkeeper.

Bob Mudloff of the Sting's Over-60 Recreation squad also garnered a title game shutout as Michigan downed the Connecticut Olde Crabs, 2-0. Dave Wahl tallied with less than 5 minutes to go to break the scoreless deadlock. Terry Boyette then secured the sweep for the Sting squads by scoring both Michigan goals in the over-60 elite final, allowing the Sting to edge the Minnesota Old Stars, 2-1.

In the over-70 recreation division, the Gerihatricks, captained by John Buchleitner and Ed McGonagle, squeezed past the New York Golden Apples in another nailbiter 2-1. The Gerihatricks also could have won for the best name in the competition.

In addition to hockey, the festival included a handful of other sports, such as weightlifting and pickleball. In all, roughly 300 athletes from more than a dozen states competed in the Games.

In weightlifting, Vermont's 73-year-old Elsa Dahl was the only woman to enter the competition, so she essentially was competing against herself. But that wasn't going to deter the retired nurse from Montpelier. "For the past nine months I've been on a break due to health issues, including surgery on my knee, and this was a good chance to get back into competition shape," she said.

"I started learning the sport after I retired, when I was 65," said Dahl. "I had been competing in the throws in the Senior Olympics, but in order to improve I was told I needed to learn explosive power, and weightlifting was one way. With so few women my age lifting, I want to keep going as long as I can."

National Senior Games Festival Results

Men's Weightlifting Gold Medalists
• Edward Simoni of Bloomingdale, N.J. (50-59, 69 kg)
• Art Donahoe of Manteo, N.C. (50-59, 77 kg)
• David Bruzzi of East Providence, R.I. (50-59, 85 kg)
• Donald Venterosa of Norwood, Mass. (50-59, under105 kg)
• Joseph Ridarelli of New London, Conn. (50-59, 105 kg & over)
• Robert Sweeney of Glendale, R.I. (60-69, 69 kg)
• David Lovelace of Newark, Del. (60-69, 77 kg)
• Dennis Habecker of Lebanon, Pa. (60-69, 85 kg)
• Carl Wallin of Lebanon, N.H. (60-69, 105 kg)
• William Bittner of Pipersville, Pa. (70+, 62 kg)
• Lev Epshteyn of Brookline, Mass. (70+, 69 kg)

Pickleball Gold Medalists
• Michael Bennett and Tom Burkart, both of Baton Rouge, La. (men's doubles 55-59)
• Jesse Robinson of Scotia, N.Y., and Peter Briscoe of Schenectady, N.Y. (men's doubles 60-64)
• Leland Rients of Wilmar, Minn., and Gary Miller of Kissimmee, Fla. (men's doubles 65-69)
• Bill Purdy and Wayne Tucker , both of Scotia, N.Y. (men's doubles 70-74)
• Robert Huskey of Opelika, Ala. (men's singles 55-59)
• Peter Briscoe of Schenectady, N.Y. (men's singles 60-64)
• Leland Rients of Wilmar, Minn. (men's singles 65-69)
• Wayne Tucker of Scotia, N.Y. (men's singles 70-74)
• Peter Briscoe of Schenectady, N.Y., and Laurie Holdridge of Berkshire, N.Y. (mixed doubles 50-54)
• Jim Levenbaum of South Dennis, Mass., and Laurie Kilmain of Mattapoisset, Mass. (mixed doubles 55-59)
• Fran and Barney Myer of Kenmore, Wash. (mixed doubles 60-64)
• Bill Purdy of Scotia, N.Y., and Sandra Rohner of Halfmoon, N.Y. (mixed doubles 65-69)
• Wayne and Betty Tucker of Scotia, N.Y. (mixed doubles 70-74)
• Sandi Burns of Northfield, N.H., and Fran Myer of Kenmore, Wash. (women's doubles 50-54)
• Martha Wasserman of Sun City, Ariz., and Laurie Kilmain of Mattapoisset, Mass. (women's doubles 55-59)
• Sandra Rohner of Halfmoon, N.Y., and Betty Tucker of Scotia, N.Y. (women's doubles 65-69)
• Laurie Holdridge of Berkshire, N.Y. (women's singles 50-54)
• Carolyn Law of Falls Church, Va. (women's singles 55-59)
• Fran Myer of Kenmore, Wash. (women's singles 60-64)