News: Empire Time
June 21, 2007
The Empire State Games are made up of a collection of Regions from across the state who compete in almost 30 different sporting events. There are over 40 states in the country that have instituted some type of state games program. The New York Empire States Games was the first program of its kind, and often considered the most successful.
The Western Region has a rich history of success. The girls scholastic volleyball teams have an excellent match record of 64-4, and a game record of 172-21, over the last 9 years. Last year, all Western sports in the Scholastic and Open Divisions brought home over 150 gold medals and over 110 silver medals.
The Western Empire Scholastic Girls team, under the coaching of Rob Werkmeister*, has proven to continually be the strongest Scholastic Women's Volleyball Team in the Empire State Games. With 5 consecutive gold medals, 7 golds in 9 years and 9 consecutive final appearances the numbers speak for themselves:
| Year | Matches Won | Games Won | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 8-0 | 21-1 | Gold |
| 2005 | 8-0 | 21-1 | Gold |
| 2004 | 7-0 | 19-1 | Gold |
| 2003 | 8-0 | 17-0 | Gold |
| 2002 | 7-0 | 19-1 | Gold |
| 2001 | 6-3 | 16-10 | Silver |
| *2000 | 6-1 | 20-4 | Silver |
| 1999 | 7-0 | 18-3 | Gold |
| *1998 | 7-0 | 21-0 | Gold |
| (*1998 and *2000 were not coached by Rob) | |||
Here are the VFX participants in the 2006 Empire State Games. Way to represent!!
Front Row: Blair Atkins, Kelly Turner, Kaitlin O'Hara, Jen Albrecht, Stephanie Turner.
Back Row: Candi Werkmeister, Allie Matters, Alyssa D'Errico, Leah Hill, Beth Kokanovich,
Lindsey Schlegel, Rob Werkmeister.
The big question is, can this year's young squad continue the tradition? By looking at the roster, its seems to be a great possibility.
| Position | Name | Club | School | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OH | Samantha Palka | NFVB | Starpoint | Junior |
| OH | Heather Henry | NFVB | Eden | Junior |
| OH | Danielle Brawn | VFX | Brockport | Senior |
| MB | Allison Nickel | VFX | Fairport | Senior |
| MB | Kelly Turner | VFX | Wayne | Senior |
| MB | Samantha Good | VFX | Greece Arcadia | Junior |
| RS/S | Megan Turner | VFX | Wayne | Junior |
| S | Sydney Palka | NFVB | Star Point | Sophomore |
| L | Kelsey Maving | VFX | Sweet Home | Junior |
| DS | Carley Youngman | VFX | Churchville-Chili | Senior |
| Alternates | ||||
| MB/RS | Lexie Hartnett | Crossroads | Fairport | Junior |
| OH | Rachael Bowler | NFVB | Kenmore West | Senior |
| S | Jenni Jones | VFX | Honeyoye Falls Lima | Junior |
| DS | Marissa Woodcome | VFX | Pittsford Sutherland | Junior |
Left to Right: Samantha Good , Megan Turner, Carley Youngman, Allison Nickel, Kelsey Maving,
Danielle Brawn, Kelly Turner
Wish them luck, and follow the action online at www.empirestategames.org or in person at PACE University in Pleasantville, NY.