By Jim Newell

Review Editor

The Michigan Senior Olympic Winter Games came to Orion Township last Wednesday when area players competed in a Bocce Ball tournament at Palazzo di Bocce.

The game is about strategy and finesse, keeping your team’s balls closest to a target ball, or pallino, while knocking or blocking opponents balls away from the target ball.

The husband and wife team of Enrique Garduno and Fran Almanza of Lake Orion competed in the 55-59 age group, winning the division with two victories and maintaining a wide point differential. Garduno and Almanza scored 24 points, giving up only 4 points. Their next closest competition scored 16 points and gave up 15 points.

Almanza said they began playing Bocce Ball as a team a few years ago and now play in a league at Palazzo di Bocce with their son and granddaughter.

Lake Orion resident Salvatore “Sam” Serra has competed in the Senior Olympics for years now, winning the Bocce Ball tournament six times. “This is my seventh or eighth year. I love it,” said Serra, 72.

This year, Serra teamed up with new partner Tom Bernard, 75, of Troy to compete in the 70-74 age group, going undefeated in their division. The two have only partnered for a few weeks.

Serra and Bernard said that while the tournament is fun, it’s also competitive. No one plays for second place.

“It gets tougher every year, which is good to see. When I first got involved there were a lot of people who were very new to Bocce. But now, they keep coming back and are getting on leagues, so the competition is getting stronger,” Serra said.

The Michigan Senior Olympic Winter Games were held at various locations throughout southeast Michigan and had around 700 athletes ages 50 and over competing in the games, said Becky Ridky, executive director of the Michigan Senior Olympics.

For more information on the Senior Olympics, including events and registration information for the Summer Olympics, visit www.michiganseniorolympics.org.