Senior athletes do well at nationals

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BROOKINGS – The National Senior Games were held in Birmingham, Ala., earlier this summer.

Athletes from the area fared well at the competition.

Kay Jorenby and Colleen Holm of Brookings and Darlene Kuhnel of Flandreau were on the Nifty 50s softball team that placed fourth in the recreational division.

Jorenby also competed in the age 55-59 category, finishing seventh in the discus, fourth in the hammer throw, eighth in shot put and sixth in the triple jump.

Mary Schulte of Brookings placed seventh in the long jump, sixth in the triple jump and fourth in the high jump.

Medals were awarded for first through third places and ribbons were awarded for fourth through eighth places.

The National Senior Games are held every other year in cities across America.

This year, more than 10,000 senior athletes competed in 19 sports. Contestants have to qualify in their state games in order to compete at the national meet.

This year 60 athletes from South Dakota competed at nationals. John Zilverberg of Highmore was the oldest athlete at 103.

The state games will be held in Sioux Falls Sept. 7-10.

The next qualifying year is 2018 in Sioux Falls.

The next national games will be held in Albuquerque, N.M., in 2019.

For more information or to register for the games, visit www.southdakotaseniorgames.org or call Howard Birch, executive director, at 605-274-6891.