By Gabriela Salazar, Tourism Events Supervisor
Each year, the College Station Senior Games attracts competitors 50 and older from across Texas and as far away as Los Angeles. We had 410 athletes compete in 2018, including 339 from outside of Bryan-College Station.
We are thrilled so many visitors want to compete in College Station, but we also encourage local seniors to seize the hometown advantage. You don’t have to be an Olympic-caliber athlete, although the Games have featured former Olympians such as Jim Gerhardt, who competed in the triple jump in the 1952 Olympics.
The 2019 Senior Games are set for Feb. 22-24 and offer multiple events for athletes of all skill levels. The $30 participation fee includes a shirt and access to a social gathering, with additional fees charged for each event. The registration deadline is Feb. 11.
Scheduled events include track and field, swimming, cornhole, golf, 5K run, 10K run, bowling, pickleball, disc golf, table tennis, 3-on-3 basketball, and cycling, which also offers a recumbent division. To reach an even broader range of competitors, 3D archery and a Deca Challenge will be added this year.
Still not convinced you should participate? Maybe these notable participants from 2018 will inspire you:
- Sprinter Bill Britten of Amarillo was the oldest male athlete at the age of 89 years and 11 months. He competed in the 50, 100, and 200-meter dashes.
- Distance runner Barbara Chenette of Crockett was the oldest female athlete at the age of 83 years and three months. She competed in the 5K run.
- Michael McDavid of Buchanan Dam competed in the most track and field events with 10, which included most of the running events along with the long and high jumps. Had the weather not caused cancellations, he would have also competed in the throws.
In addition to competing at high-quality venues across town, we invite registered athletes to the athlete social Saturday evening at the Texas A&M Lettermen’s Club. The social includes a tour of Kyle Field.
For more information and to register, visit cstx.gov/SeniorGames.
Tourism Events Supervisor Gabby Salazar is in her fourth year with the City of College Station. Before joining the city, she was the night manager at Texas A&M’s Reed Arena. A product of A&M’s sports management program, Gabby earned her bachelor’s degree in 2014 and is working toward her master’s. A native of Alamo, she was also a member of the Aggies’ nationally-ranked track and cross country teams.
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