TALLAHASSEE – Florida’s Sunshine State Games annual Summer Games competitions return to Polk County this weekend for the fourth consecutive year as the Polk County Festival kicks off Saturday morning with eight sports in action.

The Lakeland Center plays host to five sports with fencing, judo, karate, taekwondo and weightlifting today and Sunday, June 19 and 20. Today will be a big day within the confines of the Lakeland Center as a total of 859 athletes are currently registered for the five sports.

Also taking place is baseball at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale, table tennis at the Simpson Park Community Center in Lakeland and wrestling at Polk State College in Winter Haven.

Judo is from 5-9 p.m. today and taekwondo is from 6-9 p.m. Weight-lifting will accept on-site registration Saturday morning, June 19 at The Lakeland Center beginning at 8 a.m.

All Florida’s Sunshine State Games events have no admission charge and the public is encouraged to attend with the chance to see Florida’s future stars of the amateur and professional sports world.

Showcasing their talents in Polk County this weekend are 66 Southwest Florida individual athletes who will be participating in fencing, judo, karate, table tennis, taekwondo and weightlifting.

Southwest Florida athletes competing at the Sunshine State Games Polk County Festival include:

Karate – Tainter Bundy, Fort Myers; Sarah Anfinson, Lehigh Acres; Portia Fish, Lehigh Acres; Elijah Hintz, Lehigh Acres; Samantha Reach, Lehigh Acres; Alecia Schwarz, Lehigh Acres; Ramon Suarez, Lehigh Acres; Christopher Neat, Lehigh Acres; Reagan Moore, Naples; Truman Moore, Naples

Fencing – Matthew Sweeney, Fort Myers; Mark Kelly Cape Coral; Kirk Andazola Fort Myers; Brendan Sheets, Fort Myers; Denys Beecher, Fort Myers; Jesus Lugones, Fort Myers; Anthony Muller, Fort Myers; Alexis Tate, Port Charlotte; Max Lang, Fort Myers; Clarke Keller, Punta Gorda; Nicholas Hubbell, Cape Coral; Henry Pellegrino, Cape Coral; Ana Feins, Naples; Jo Ann Kravitz, Naples; Ray Blair, Naples; Matthew Berning, Naples; Mark Tamulionis, Cape Coral

Judo – Durand Bundy, Fort Myers; Matthew Tamulionis, Cape Coral; Justin Bonsall, Cape Coral; Ryan Rowland, Cape Coral; Christina Paccione, Cape Coral; Erica Paccione, Cape Coral; Max Ruroede, Cape Coral; Paige Ruruoede, Cape Coral

Table Tennis – Jay Buchanan, Fort Myers; Trent Tedesco, Fort Myers

Taekwondo – Noah French, Fort Myers; Shawn Kennedy, Fort Myers; Brian Biolchini, Cape Coral; Alexis Ramirez, Cape Coral; Ethan Knight, Fort Myers; Gavin Knight, Fort Myers; Greysen Brown, Fort Myers; Dane Stevens, Cape Coral; Aldo Dominguez Ii, Fort Myers; Derek Clark, North Ft Myers; Noelle Sleitweiler, Port Charlotte; Kolton Reeves, Port Charlotte; Julianna Helt, Port Charlotte; Stefanie Drack, Fort Myers; Jacob Garard, Fort Myers; Ashlee Godbold, Fort Myers; Christina Hall, Fort Myers; Robert Hall, Fort Myers; Cole Meckley, Fort Myers; Gage Shaffer, Lehigh Acres; Jonathan Campos-Souza, Cape Coral; Anthony Vazquez, Naples; Gabriela Demarest, Naples; Karysia Demarest, Naples; Austin Steinheiser, Naples; Dorothea Schmitz, Bonita Springs

Weightlifting – Michelle Kith-cart, Fort Myers; Sarina Woodworth, Cape Coral; Jennifer Gordon, Fort Myers

This is the second weekend of Sunshine State Games Summer Games Festival competitions. Over 2,300 of Florida’s finest amateur athletes were in competition in Alachua County last weekend. The Sunshine State Games Fast Pitch Softball Championships were held in Polk County last weekend with 43 team and 860 athletes and the Sunshine State Games Inline Hockey Championships were played in Fort Myers with 28 teams and 420 athletes participating. All told, 3,586 athletes competed in Sunshine State Games activities last weekend.

Results from all Sunshine State Games competitions can be found at www.flasports.com.