WATERVILLE--The 2008 Maine Games, presented by the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, wrapped up the local portion of it's annual sports festival over the weekend with three events, which brought hundreds of athletes and their families to the area for the second straight year. The MMCC became the presenting sponsor this year to help the Maine Games promote events and opportunities for sponsorship, volunteerism, and to help the statewide multi-event Olympic-style sports festival become established in the area. Already many local businesses have helped and contributed to the event, such as the Holiday Inn, the City of Waterville, the Alfond Youth Center, Colby College, SBS Carbon Copy, the Morning Sentinel, Champions, Waterville Main Street, Valley Distributors, Golden Pond Wealth Management, Inland Hospital, Ursus Media Productions, and gold-medal sponsor New Balance. Local residents Jim Delorie, of the Alfond Youth Center; Chris Levesque from Time Warner Cable; and Janice Kassman, from Colby College have all joined the Maine Games Board of directors in the past year.

Despite threatening weather forecasts, Saturday's high school field hockey tournament was played at the Bill Alfond Field at Colby College with 13 teams from Bangor to York County competing for Maine Games gold, silver, and bronze medals. Skowhegan took the top spot on the podium, while a team from Cony High School grabbed the silver, and Leavitt took home the bronze medal. The event was presented by Golden Pond Wealth Management, and sponsored in part by Colby College, Valley Distributors, and Longstreth Field Hockey. Once again a half dozen of Maine's top field hockey officials presided over the competition; all as volunteers. MaineGeneral Hospital provided the athletic trainers for this event. Colby's women's field hockey coach, Amy Bernathez ran a flawless tournament for the second straight year as commissioner. Maine Games executive director, Jeff Scully, of Saco said about Bernatchez, "We couldn't have had a better commissioner for this event. As the field hockey coach at Colby, she brings a very high level of knowledge of the sport, but also has the respect of the entire field hockey community in Maine for her ability to organize and host a tournament." The event has quickly become a showcase for some of the top high school field hockey players in the state. One of the highlights of the day was when Dexter field hockey goalie, Sammi Conway, sang the National Anthem. Conway's teammates nominated her for the honor. The event was open to players from Maine who still are in high school. The Maine Games held an adult Open tournament last weekend, with 10 teams competing. Approximately 100 women who are still playing in college and many who are well past their high school or college days competed for Maine Games medals in the third annual Open tournament, June 22, also at Colby College.

While the rain held off on Saturday, Sunday's Maine Games State Swimming Championships were halted about half-way through by thunder, lightening, and torrential rains in the late morning. Approximately half of the meet was cancelled due to the bad weather. The event was held outdoors for the second year in a row at the Alfond Municipal Swimming Pool, and because the swimming pool at the Alfond Youth Center has been drained for repairs, there was no indoor back up this year. Despite the weather, those in attendance were happy for the chance to compete in the Maine Games, as well as to qualify for the 2009 State Games of America, which is being held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, next August. Any medalist in this year's swim meet (or last year's) has qualified for next year's national amateur sports festival, offered by the National Congress of State Games, as well as the Rocky Mountain State Games, and the Colorado Springs Sports Corp. Sunday's swim meet was co-sponsored by New Balance, the City of Waterville, The Dolphins Swim Club, and Swimroom.com. Swimroom.com is an online community website for swimmers which was developed by some of America's best swimmers including Michael Phelps, Natalile Coughlin, Ryan Lochte, Lenny Krayzleburg, and Maine's own Ian Crocker. Swimroom.com donated prizes for the event this year, and many of this year's athletes left the event with hats, T-shirts, instructional DVDs, books, and even signature swim caps. David Turnage, the aquatics director at the Alfond Youth Center, was commissioner, and he was assisted by Tom Burton, the Colby College swimming and diving coach, as well as other volunteers from the Maine swim community.

TJ's Classic Billiards hosted the day's final event. Mostly local billiards players competed at the second annual Maine Games State Billiards Championships in the afternoon. The event was sponsored by TJ's Classic Billiards, and was a family affair for Steve and Tammy Reynolds, and their 11-year old daughter Taylor, as all three competed in this year's tournament. The three medalists in this event have also qualified for the 2009 State Games of America, next summer. This event has become so successful that the date for the 2009 Maine Games State Billiards Championships has already been set for June 28, at TJ's Classic Billiards on Airport Rd, in Waterville.