Back in Action: CHQ Lakers Special Olympics teams return to softball field, golf courses
From left, Adien Gierlinger, a 2025 NYS Special Olympics Golf champion, is pictured with Colton Hanson, an alternate shot athlete, after competing at a golf outing held at the Chautauqua Lake Golf Club. Submitted photo.
Team members and coaches with the NYS Chautauqua Lakers ( 2025 champions) Special Olympics Softball team returned to action Saturday at a softball tournament held at The Northtown Center in Amherst, located at 1615 Amherst Manor Drive, Williamsville. Submitted photo.
From left, Adien Gierlinger, a 2025 NYS Special Olympics Golf champion, is pictured with Colton Hanson, an alternate shot athlete, after competing at a golf outing held at the Chautauqua Lake Golf Club. Submitted photo.
Team members and coaches with the NYS Chautauqua Lakers ( 2025 champions) Special Olympics Softball team returned to action Saturday at a softball tournament held at The Northtown Center in Amherst, located at 1615 Amherst Manor Drive, Williamsville. Submitted photo.
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The Chautauqua Lakers, defending champions in softball for the Special Olympics, along with the Chautauqua County Special Olympics golf team, have returned to action.
The Lakers softball team competed at The Northtown Center in Amherst while the Lakers’ golfers plied their skill sets at the Chautauqua Lake Golf Club.
"The team did great," said Seth Brightman, a team coach with the Lakers and Jamestown native. "We had several athletes playing in the softball game and four athletes competing in the individual skills portion of the event."
Brightman explained that the returning championship team won one game and lost one in the day’s outing, but has high hopes for another run at the "gold medal."
"We won one game and lost one, but I think we can win another championship this year," he said.
Brightman said that among the four skill-level athletes who competed, the team won a gold medal, a bronze medal, and finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
"The kids all did a wonderful job for their first outing," he said.
Simultaneously, at the Chautauqua Institution's Chautauqua Golf Club, the golfers of the Chautauqua Lakers Golf Team hosted an event featuring more than 60 golfers in various skills contests and other golf-related competitions on the institution’s greens.
A returning high-level golfer and Special Olympics of Western N.Y. 2025 champion, Adien Gierlinger, said, "The course is beautiful, and the competition was tough; there was a lot of respect and good sportsmanship shown during the tournament."
Gierlinger said the skills component of the tournament was heavily contested, yet all the contestants had fun.
According to the New York Special Olympics website, the NYS Special Olympics program serves more than 48,899 participants and unified partners; has more than 5,818 coaches; hosts more than 2,042 competitions and competitive events; and has more than 20,674 volunteers associated with the program.
NYS Special Olympics recognizes and supports the following sporting events: alpine skiing, athletics, basketball, bocce, bowling, cross-country skiing, cycling, equestrian, figure skating, floorball, golf, gymnastics, powerlifting, snowboarding, snowshoeing, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball.
Other NYS Special Olympics developmental program offerings include: athlete leadership, healthy athletes, healthy communities, young athletes, Special Olympics Unified Sports, Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR), Motor Activities Training Program (MATP), fitness, and Special Olympics eSports.
For more information on the NYS Special Olympics, visit www.specialolympics.org/programs/united-states/new-york or call 518-388-0790