TOPEKA, Kan.— The 28th Annual Sunflower State Games came to a successful close on Sunday, July 30th. Kansas’ own Olympic style sports festival drew 7,222 participants in 2017, up by 121 compared to last summer. Participation records were set in the following twelve sports: Badminton, Baseball, BMX, Cricket, Jiu Jitsu, Judo, Orienteering, Pickleball, Powerlifting, Trap & Skeet, Sporting Clays, and Swimming. Additionally, participation increased in 23 of the 47 sports compared to 2016. “We are extremely happy with how the event played out this year. We thank each and every athlete for choosing the Sunflower State Games as an avenue to improve their quality of life,” said Executive Director, Mitch Gross. “A big thank you also goes out to our Sponsors, Community Partners, Venue Hosts, Sport Commissioners, and especially our Volunteers for making this event a success.”
The 2017 Games consisted of 47 different sporting events taking place at over 35 locations in the Topeka and Shawnee County area from July 14-30. For the first time in the organization’s 28 year history, the Sunflower State Games held events at the Kansas Expocentre. On Saturday, July 15th, over 3,000 people filled the Kansas Expocentre to compete and watch Wrestling, Powerlifting, Martial Arts, Jiu Jitsu, and Judo. Landon Arena and Expo Hall were transformed into a multi-sport venue with all five events taking place simultaneously. Official results for all events can be found online at www.sunflowergames.com. Tentative dates for the 2018 Sunflower State Games are July 13-29. Next up on schedule for the organization is the Kansas Senior Games for ages 50+, taking place this September 14-24 in Topeka.
