Senior Games come to a close

After 23 days and nearly three dozen events, the Green Valley Senior Games bids farewell for another year.

The 25th edition of the Senior Games brought out a record 761 athletes to compete — a 31-participant increase from last year. An additional 164 volunteers donated their time and energy to make sure these games moved as smoothly as possible. All told, nearly 1,000 athletes, volunteers, coordinators and Green Valley Recreation staff members came together to make this quarter-century edition the best one yet.

“Better yet, we seemed to have more spectators — friends and family and whatnot — milling about during all of the events,” said event coordinator Karen Rans. “There was a real energy this year. It was great.”

This year, 24 of the 30 events were held at GVR facilities. Abrego South hosted the 5k run/walk and the horseshoes events. Canoa Hills chipped in with bocce, bridge and the “Senior Prom” dance. Billiards and table tennis competitors headed to Desert Hills, while basketball and pickleball players could be found at East Center. Las Campanas hosted bridge, chess, cribbage, euchre, hearts, Mah Jongg, pinochle, racquetball and wallyball, while West Center put on the shuffleboard, swimming and tennis events, along with the Kick-Off Extravaganza and the recognition breakfast.

Outside of GVR, one could find Senior Games events happening at Anamax Park (bicycling), Green Valley Lanes (bowling), Sahuarita High School (track and field), Torres Blancas Golf Club (golf skills challenge) and Triple Play (realistic putting golf, Texas Hold ‘Em).

Stop by any GVR center for an official results book, which features everything one might need to know about this year’s Senior Games.

Linda Gregory with the Camera Club of Green Valley put together a DVD full of photos from all the events, and Edwin Ancheta once again did a fantastic job with his photographs for the Green Valley News.

“Cindi Miller-Newman was a great asset in working with the new coordinators and assisting me with this years games,” Rans said. “We again received many positive comments from people on our overall operations of the Green Valley Senior Games.”

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747

Event breakdown

Basketball shoot: 19 participants

Bicycling: 28

Billiards: 8-Ball 22, 9-Ball 33

Bocce: singles 18, doubles 24

Bowling: 53

Chess: 17

Contract Bridge: 24

Cribbage: One Hand 35, Two Hand 26

Darts: 8

Duplicate Bridge: 48

Euchre: 32

5K Run: 35

Fun Walk: 12

Golf (18 hole): 23

Golf (Putting): 15

Golf Skills: Closest 43, Putting 49, Chipping 46

Hearts: 19

Horseshoes: Singles 17, Doubles 18

Mah Jongg: National 44

Pickleball Doubles: Men 35, Women 25, Mixed 30

Pinochle: 21

Racquetball: Singles 17, Doubles 18

Shuffleboard: Singles 63, Doubles 62

Swimming: 95

Table Tennis: 29

Tennis: Singles 23, Doubles 78

Texas Hold ‘Em: 21

Track and Field: 25

Wallyball: 25

Volunteers: 164

Age Breakdown

Total: Women/Men

Age 50-54: 16 8/8

Age 55-59: 58 36/22

Age 60-64: 126 55/71

Age 65-69: 208 91/117 Age 70-74: 171 55/116

Age 75-79: 91 24/67Age 80-89: 87 21/67

Age 90+: 4 1/3

Oldest participant: Walter Bilyk (92), swimming