POTSDAM – Young athletes from St. Lawrence County dominated the podium at the Empire State Winter Games sliding events held on Saturday, Feb. 1, at Mt. Van Hoevenberg in Lake Placid.

In the Luge competition, Madrid-Waddington High School freshman Warren Briggs captured the gold medal in the Youth A division. The 14-year-old is a member of the USA Luge Youth Development Team, training with aspiring athletes from across the country.

In Junior Bobsled, Carly Coates, 14, of Little River Community School, earned gold alongside her partner, Elliott McLean of Saranac Lake, N.Y. The Canton, N.Y., team of Wyatt LaMarche, 12, and John Mitchell, 14, secured the silver medal. Luke Snyder and Evan Nilsen of Rockaway, N.J., took third place in the consistency race. Coates and McLean also claimed gold for the fastest speed.

The Skeleton competition saw Wyatt LaMarche and Elliott McLean tie for gold in the consistency race. Zoya Kocho-Williams, 13, from Potsdam, N.Y. (Little River Community School), secured the bronze, while Luke Snyder of Rockaway, N.J., took silver. Carly Coates earned another gold medal, this time for achieving the fastest speed in the Skeleton event.

Residents of the North Country have a unique opportunity to participate in sliding sports due to their proximity to the Lake Placid Combined Track at Mt. Van Hoevenberg.

Those interested in trying Luge can find more information at https://adk-luge.org. Information about the Junior Bobsled and Skeleton programs is available at https://mtvanhoevenberg.com/lesson/youth-bobsled-skeleton/.