A pair of Division Avenue High School graduates were selected to lead Long Island into the opening ceremonies at the Empire State Games. John Petrofsky, class of 2005 qualified for the Wrestling competition, while Gary Shultis Jr. qualified for bowling. Joanne Byrne, DAHS coach and Wisdom Lane teacher also joined Shultis, an All-County bowler. This marked the first time that a high school coach and athlete had qualified for the same games. Byrne holds the record for the Empire State Games bowling medals at 25, including two this year. Both bowlers qualified for the all events match play finals. Shultis finished sixth, while Byrne finished eighth.