Harrison Duo Competes In Empire State Games

The Summer Empire State Games have been a staple in New York  athletics since 1978. The games are held every summer for one week and involve amateur athletes in Olympic style games.

The games look for the best amateur athletes from the six regions of New York. The six regions include Adirondack, Central, Hudson Valley, Long Island, New York City and Western. Westchester County is in the Hudson Valley Region.

This years games took place in Buffalo, New York and started with opening ceremonies on July 21 with a concert which headlined international recording artists Third Eye Blind.

Two of Harrison High School's finest athletes made the games this year. Jessica Segal and Lily Stokoe, both juniors at Harrison, competed on the Hudson Valley region scholastic division's volleyball team.

Both players had to go to several tryouts and practices in order to make the team. Tryouts were held in the Downstate Athletic Center in Peekskill. At the end of the tryouts in mid-June the team's head coach Dan Altro sent out thirteen invitations, ten girls were selected for the teams and three other were given alternate spots.

Segal made the team outright and was named to one of the team's captain positions while Stokoe was given the option to be an alternate. Stokoe accepted the alternate position but was quickly placed on a team.

"After tryouts one of the girls quit the team," said Stokoe. "The coach asked me if I wanted to take her spot and I said yes."

After the roster was set it was time for the newly formed team of athletes to practice. 

"We practiced a lot with our team. During the remainder of the school year we practiced three times a week usually on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays," said Stokoe. "Once we all finished finals we started to have more frequent practices usually four or five times a week and those continued up until the games that began on July 21."

One day included two practice sessions and a hike up Bear Mountain.

Even though both Segal and Stokoe are well established players and fantastic high school athletes Coach Altro asked each of them to change positions.

"Jess transitioned from setter to libero," said Stokoe. "I went from being a middle blocker to playing right side hitter."

The team comprised of some of the best athletes from across the region but they would not find the team success they were looking for. The team went 1 - 4 in pool play and lost in the first round of tournament play.

But both athletes represented Harrison High School and the region well and they were both grateful for the experience.

"The practices were intense and really challenged us as players," Stokoe said, "but in the end both Jess and I saw huge improvements in ourselves as players."