Greene County High School Special Olympians joined nearly 3,000 other athletes along with coaches, parents and volunteers for the 30 year annual State Special Olympics track and field meet held at ISU in Ames May 22-24.
The three day event began with opening ceremonies Thursday night. The team proudly displayed its new banner donated by ShineOn Designs. The banner complemented the new shirts purchased through the donations of the Jefferson Kiwanis Club.
On Friday, first place winners from all over Iowa competed in track and field events. All athletes are placed in divisions by ability level, age, and gender. Winners on Friday were as follows:
Cole DeHoet: 1st in his division of the running long jump
Kim Stanek: 1st in her division of shot put
Nick Walsh: 3rd in his division of shot put
Rylie Breheny: 5th in her division of the softball throw
The team ended the state competition on Saturday competing in running events. The winners are as follows:
Nick Walsh: 3rd in his division 400 meter dash
Cole DeHoet, Kourtlin Thacker, Nick Walsh, and Rylie Breheny: 4th in their division of the 4×100 meter relay
“The Cyclones and the City of Ames roll out the red carpet for this competition to make this event an awesome experience for everyone,” coach Deb Roger said. Other coaches were Mona Weltz, Sue Lansman and Jeri Gettler. Volunteers were Tracy Burgart and Tanner Lange. Many parents also went to support the team.