If there’s a city in Florida synonymous with the Sunshine State Games, Florida’s only Olympic-style Sports Festival for athletes of all ages, it’s Gainesville, the Games original home.
Swimming and Archery were contested the weekend of June 5-7, marking the 21st year a Sunshine State Games event has been held in Gainesville.
Now in its 46th year, the Sunshine State Games have provided Florida Amateur Athletes with a starting point for advancement to national and international competitions.
Over 400 swimmers were diving off the blocks at the Dwight Hunter Northeast Pool from Friday through Sunday. Planet Swim Aquatics, of Ponte Vedra Beach led all teams with 995 points. The Planet Swim Aquatics team had 74 medal-winning performances with 31 gold medals, 21 silver and 22 bronze.
Top Five Finishers among the 12 teams competing were:
Planet Swim Aquatics, 995 points
FAST Falcons, Ocala, 911 points
Gator Swim Club, Gainesville, 888 points
Makos Aquatic Club of Gainesville, 644 points
Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club, 629 points
Among the individual performances, Emma Yarbrough, from Ocala’s FAST Falcons team, led all girl’s swimmers with 62 points. Swimming in eight events, the eight-year old Yarbrough won four gold medals, two silver and two bronze.
Sims Bracken, a 12-year old member of the Area Tallahassee Aquatics Club, totaled 70 points to lead all boy’s swimmers, winning seven gold medals and a silver.
Top Individual Scores by Age Group
8 and under Girls: Emma Yarbrough, FAST Falcons, 62 points
8 and under Boys: Winn Davis, FAST Falcons, 57 points
9-10 Girls: Rilynn Smith, Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club, 53 points
9-10 Boys: Kyle Whitley, FAST Falcons, 61 points
11-12 Girls: Lyndi Jarrell, FAST Falcons, 61 points
11-12 Boys: Sims Bracken, Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club, 70 points
13-14 Girls: Sofia Chubina, Gator Swim Club, 42 points
13-14 Boys: Dalton Von Hertsenberg, Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club, 67 points
15 & Over Girls: Averly Powell, Kissimmee Swim Association, 55 points
15 & Over Boys: Jack Chase, Makos Aquatic Club, 59 poinrts
At Gator Bowmen, nearly 100 archers were on the line Saturday and Sunday in four events. Patty Hoppe, of Ocala, set her fifth Sunshine State Games Archery record shooting an 854 in the Master Senior group of Sunday’s 900 Round. She also won a gold medal on Saturday in the 720 round with a score of 628.
Over the course of two days of shooting, a total of 21 Sunshine State Games records were set by archers from the 12 and under age group through the 80s age groups.
The youngest record-setter was Jackson Cook (pictured at left), who shot a 514 in the Cub Level (12 and under) Field Round. He broke his own record which he set in 2025 and also won a gold medal in the 3-D event.
The 2026 Sunshine State Games continues this weekend with Artistic Swimming beginning Friday, June 12 and continuing through Sunday, June 14. Nearly 200 swimmers will compete in the Novice, Intermediate, Junior Olympic, Open and Masters and Athletes with Disabilities levels.
The swimming begins on Friday at 12 Noon with the Junior Olympic Division. It’s an early start on Saturday with the Intermediate level at 7:45 a.m. The competition begins on Sunday at 8:45 a.m. with Novice, Open and Masters and Athletes with Disabilities events.
Registration continues for Water Polo, in Coral Springs on June 19-21, Taekwondo in Wesley Chapel, June 20-21, and Table Tennis in Alachua, June27-28. Visit the individual sports pages linked above for competition and registration information.
The 46th Sunshine State Games are a program of the Florida Sports Foundation, the official sports promotion and development organization of the State of Florida, presented in conjunction with Florida’s Sports Coast, the Gainesville Sports Commission, the Ocala/Marion CVB and Visit Lauderdale.