Sunshine State Games Wraps Up 2026 Season with 3,000 athletes
The 2026 Sunshine State Games returned to its usual May and June calendar dates with seven sports in action in six Florida communities. When everything was said and done, nearly 3,000 of Florida’s finest amateur athletes competed in Sunshine State Games events.
Since 1980, the Sunshine State Games have provided a starting point for Florida amateur athletes of all ages. While most sports have an Olympic connection, others have provided athletes an outlet for competition since 1980.
Artistic Roller Skating, May 10, Palm Beach County
Nearly 150 skaters were in action from just after 6:00 a.m. on Mother’s Day until after 6:00 p.m. at Palm Beach AstroSkate in Greenacres. Athletes performed solo and duet routines and were tested on their skill levels. Artistic Roller Skating dates back to the early 1980s in the Sunshine State Games and has produced many skaters who have represented Florida on an international level.
Figure Skating, May 17-19. 2026, Wesley Chapel
Over 300 skaters laced up their skates and took to the ice over three days in 144 events at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel. Skaters ranged in ages from five years old to over 50 years old.
The annual highlight of the Sunshine State Games Figure Skating Championships is honoring the Dorothy Dodson and Betty Stark Awards for Figure Skating Excellence.
Lilyan Krzysiak (pictured below), from Parrish and a member of the Panthers Figure Skating Club, led off the final event of Sunday, Group B of the Intermediate Girls Free Skate, and skated to a score of 54.81.
That, combined with her score of 33.75 in the Intermediate Ladies Short Program on Saturday totaled 88.56, a half point ahead of Estero’s Maylin Vesce’s score of 88.17, to win the Dorothy Dodson Award for Figure Skating Excellence for the Intermediate Level skaters.
For the rest of the summer, Krzysiak will skate in Florida club events statewide and embark on the National Qualifying Series (NQS) four tournaments statewide and nationwide.
Beginning in August, she will travel to Jacksonville, Atlanta and Los Angeles in an effort to earn a spot in further national competitions.
The Betty Stark Award was won by Kensington Cox, who lives in Atlanta, but trained in Naples leading up to the Sunshine State Games.
Cox recorded a score fo 42.85 in the Juvenile Free Skate to earn the honor. She also won a gold medal in the Short Program.
Sunshine State Games Figure Skating returns to AdventHealth Center Ice in May, 2027.
Swimming, June 5-7, Gainesville
The Makos Aquatic Club of Gainesville welcomed over 400 swimmers from 12 Florida clubs to the Dwight Hunter Northeast Pool. Swimmers began in the 8 and under age group through the 15 and over groups, featuring swimmers up to 19 years old.
Over five sessions in three days, teams and individuals compiled points leading to Team Champions and Age Group Top Finishers.
Top Five Finishers among the 12 teams competing were:
Planet Swim Aquatics, Ponte Vedra Beach, 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 points
Archery, June 6-7, Gainesville
At Gator Bowmen, nearly 100 archers were on the line in four events, over two days of shooting. Patty Hoppe, of Ocala, set her fifth Sunshine State Games Archery record shooting an 854 in the Master Senior group of the 900 Round. She also won a gold medal 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, from Cocoa (pictured at right), who shot a 514 in the Cub Level (12 and under) Field Round. He broke the event record set in 2015 by 34 points and also won a gold medal in the 3-D event.
Artistic Swimming, June 12-14, Ocala
Over 240 swimmers were in the pool at Florida Aquatic Swimming and Training (FAST), in Ocala, competing in Novice to Open and Masters Divisions.
Being one of the original sports of the Sunshine State Games, a second and third generation of families are now involved in the Games. Several of the current coaches were Sunshine State Games athletes during their youth. Now their daughters are competing.
Mark Amsinger, who will be serving as a judge, is the father of two Gainesville Gaviatas coaches. His daughters, Crystal Amsinger Motes and Jennie Amsinger competed in the Sunshine State Games as members of the Suncoast WaterWorks team during their youth.
In the 2026 Games, Mark’s granddaughters and Crystal’s daughters, Emily, 13, and Elizabeth, 7, competed.
Caroline Karolinko-Tiernan, now the coach of the Palm Beach Coralytes, was a member of the Coralyes team that competed in the 2002 and 2005 Sunshine State Games. She was a member of the University of Florida team on the club level and returned home to coach the team of her youth.
“There’s a very strong continuation of Sunshine State Games athletes who have become coaches in the state of Florida,” said Sunshine State Games Artistic Swimming Sport Director, Lorraine Valerino, the coach of the Lakeland YMCA Flamingo Synchro team. “The longevity of this connection has never gone unnoticed by me. It’s the next generation competing on clubs with SSG alumni who are now the coaches.”
Each year, the Artistic Swimming Community honors one of its founders in former Sport Director and Artistic Swimming legend, Mary Rose. The High Point Trophies are awarded to the three youth divisions.
2026 Mary Rose High Point Award Winners
Junior Olympic Division – Gainesville Gaviatas
Intermediate Division – Orlando Loreleis
Novice Division – Hialeah Stormettes
Water Polo, June 19-21, 2026, Coral Springs
The Coral Springs Aquatic Center welcomed 45 teams for three days of Sunshine State Games Water Polo. Over the three days, over 80 games were played, even though one day’s events was halted due to inclement weather.
Gold Medal-winning teams included:
12 and Under: Team Orlando (pictured at left)
14 and under: Gladiators
16 and under Women: Team Orlando
16 and under Men: Gladiators
18 and under Women: Miami Riptides Water Polo
18 and under Men: South Florida Water Polo Club
Women’s Open: Patriot Aquatics
Men’s Open: South Florida Water Polo Club
Local standouts, the South Florida Water Polo Club and the Miami Riptides continued their winning ways in the Sunshine State Games with South Florida winning in the 18 and under Men and Men’s Open Division. The Riptides won the 18 and under Women’s gold medal.
The two clubs have combined for 73 gold medals (Riptides 38, South Florida Water Polo 35) since 2000.
Taekwondo, June 20-21, Wesley Chapel
Over 250 athletes of all ages competed in the 2026 Sunshine State Games Taekwondo Championships at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus in Wesley Chapel.
A popular event for the Taekwondo athletes is the Family Poomsae competition. The mother and daughter team of Lucie and Harper Ghioto, from Orlando Taekwondo and Kung Fu, won the All Levels and All Ages gold medal.
Lucie also won a gold medal in the Forms Women’s 43-49 age group, blue/purple belt division and Harper won a silver medal in the Breaking Women’s 12-14 age group, brown/red belt division.
In the Family Poomsae World Class Black Belt All Ages, Lauren and Lorena Martinez Garcia, of Mr. White’s Taekwondo, in Tampa, took the gold medal. Lauren also won a gold medal in the 15-17 age group black belt Forms competition while Lorena won a gold medal in the 15-17 age group black belt sparring event.
Most Outstanding School Award went to Sung Cho’s Taekwondo, from Sarasota, with the largest number of participants. Sung Cho Taekwondo athletes combined to win 19 medals including a Demonstration Team bronze medal.
The Demonstration Team, led by Master Roy Worth, presented an Umbrella form with the team using white parasol umbrellas.
“It was beautiful, yet effective,” said Sport Director Master James White. “Each of the 19 team members placed in an additional event during the day. Master Roy Worth also served as a referee.”
Since the Games inception in 1980, over 330,000 athletes have competed in the Sunshine State Games including Florida natives and Olympians Ashleigh Johnson, Brian Olson, Angelica Delgado, Ryan Lochte, Roy Jones, Jr., Justin Gatlin and Andrew Torgeshev.
The 2026 Sunshine State Games were presented by the Florida Sports Foundation, the official sports promotion and development organization of the State of Florida, in conjunction with Florida’s Sports Coast, the Gainesville Sports Commission, Ocala/Marion County CVB and Visit Lauderdale.