ESG - Roundup
Singles competitors look to repeat, debut

Team sports get the most attention at the Empire State Games each year, but that doesn't mean the individual events won't offer storylines of their own.

Several Western New York athletes will head to Westchester County next week hoping to bring back medals. The Games run July 25-29.

Below is a quick list of area athletes by sport:

Archery

Williamsville's Roy Lindberg will make his first return to the Empire State Games after finishing in the Open Men's all around at the 2004 Games.

Cheektowaga's Richard Fabiszewski will return to the Games after winning the bronze medal in the Scholastic Men's all around last year.

Cheektowaga's Jen Fabiszewski and East Aurora's Kelly Maxwell will both make their debuts in the Scholastic Women's all around.

Canoe/Kayak

Williamsville's Casey Smith won a gold medal in the Open Men's 500-meter quad kayak event, but finished fourth in both the 200 pairs and 500 pairs. He'll compete in the 500 single, 500 pairs, 200 single, 200 pairs and 200 quad this year.

Cycling Williamsville's Tracy Mariniello will look to improve on her two-medal performance last year. She took silver in the 55-mile road race and bronze in the 20-mile criterium.

Amherst's Dan Staffo will make his ESG debut in the Open Men's competition.

Judo

Amherst's Kaitlyn Barone lost all of her matches last year, but walked away with the silver medal in the Open Women's 106-pound division. She was thrown by Adirondack's Margaret Drake four times in the preliminaries and in the final. She'll be back to try her luck in the same weight class.

Elma's Carol Boulet will make her Games debut in the 126-pound division.

Amherst's Abe Yasuhiro also debut's in the Open Men's 146-pound division.

Shooting

Kenmore's Jimmie Perrin won three medals at last year's Games, taking silver in the Open three-position rifle team event and bronze in both the three-position rifle individual event and the air rifle team event. He's entered in three-position rifle and air rifle again this year.

Williamsville's Robert Belko will move up to the Open division, after winning gold in the Scholastic three-position rifle team event and silver in the three-position rifle individual event.

Denise Volker of East Amherst will return to the Open trap competition, after winning that event last year.

Williamsville's Barry Maloney will try to improve on last year's seventh-place finish in the Open Men's trap.

East Aurora's Angelica Feldman will make her debut in the Scholastic three-position rifle, while Clarence's Kevin Konitsch will debut in the Scholastic prone.

Weightlifting

Cheektowaga's Mark Miskovski did not place at last year's Games and looks to lift his way to a medal this year at 169.75 pounds.

Tonawanda's John Fiorella will make his first trip to the Games to lift at 207 pounds.

West Seneca's Jill Burzynski will debut at the Games at 165.25 pounds.