Montague wins gold in Senior Olympics
AUGUSTA. The Sparta team takes home silver and the team from the Sussex County YMCA wins bronze.
Sparta /
| 30 Jul 2025 | 12:51
Participants compete in Golf Putt at the Sussex County Senior Olympics on June 17 at the fairgrounds in Augusta. (Photos by Maria Kovic)
Senior Olympians compete in horseshoes.
This is the first year that the competition has been held at the Sussex County Fairgrounds.
Isabella and Chloe Edwards of Montague cheer on their grandmother. The Montague team won the gold.
Senior Olympics teams take part in the opening ceremony.
Corn hole was one of the six events.
Participants compete in the Ladder Toss.
Karen Alonge of Hopatcong.
Rocco Passerini and Manny Fernandes of the Hopatcong team.
Steve Marino, Robin Elmo, Jeanne Ortiz and Roxanne Staley of the Hardyston team.
Ray Conway, Mike Sullivan and Bob McCrimlisk of the Sparta team.
Judy Decker, Linda Columbo, and Diane Cole and Cole of the Montague team.
Six teams of senior citizens competed in annual Sussex County Senior Olympics on June 17 at the fairgrounds in Augusta.
The Montague team took home the gold, Sparta the silver and the team from the Sussex County YMCA won bronze.
This was the first year that the event was held at the fairgrounds.
Each of the six teams, including those from Hopatcong, Vernon and Hardyston, consisted of 30 members (24 participants, three alternates and three team leaders).
All participants competed in each of the six events: Goal Kick, Golf Putt, Horseshoes, Ladder Toss, Cornhole and Chicken Toss.
Each game had its own points system. Winners were determined based on the highest point value achieved.
For each game, gold, silver and bronze medallions were awarded to the women and men with the three highest scores.
The three teams with the overall highest scores then were awarded gold, silver and bronze trophies.
Teams were set up by the senior groups in each town.
In Montague, the senior group set up a lottery system to decide who would participate because of the large number of interested members. Those not chosen in the lottery were invited to come and cheer on the team. Team members’ grandchildren also were invited to carry the Montague banner in the opening ceremony.
Jeanne Montemarano of Sparta and Toni-Lu Martin of Montague, coordinators of their respective teams, both said the camaraderie within their teams and among all the participants is the one of their favorite parts of the event.
Team members practiced weekly before the competition.
Lorraine Hentz, director of the county Division of Senior Services, organizes the event. She said the Senior Olympics began six years ago at the request of the community.
During those year, the competition was held in a different town each year.