District 202’s middle school Special Olympics team had a stellar first year.
Six student-athletes from Drauden Point and Ira Jones middle schools kicked off the Region E Spring Games by lighting the torch, reading the athlete oath, and declaring the games open on May 4 in South Holland.
This weekend, the middle school team will send five athletes to the Illinois Special Olympic Summer Games at various sites in Bloomington and Normal.
These athletes will compete in track and field events this weekend:
Eizlee Reyes, seventh grade, Ira Jones Middle School - 100M run and long jump
Wade Noble, seventh grade, Ira Jones - tennis ball throw
Danny Arrez, sixth grade, Drauden Point Middle School - tennis ball throw
Jonah Flores, sixth grade, Ira Jones - 100M run and mini javelin
Lily Diversey, sixth grade, Ira Jones - 50M run and mini javelin
These athletes opened the Region E Spring Games on May 4:
Lily Diversey, (Ira Jones), Jonathan Gandy, seventh grade, Jack Roman, eighth grade, and Payton Labellarte, sixth grade (Drauden Point) – Torch runners
Nick Lammert, sixth grade (Drauden Point) – Oath Reader
Vahin Choudhury, sixth grade (Ira Jones) – Declaration Reader
These students participated in the Region E games along with the summer games finalists:
Jack Roman, eighth grade, Drauden Point – 100M run, softball throw
Jonathan Gandy, seventh grade, Drauden Point – 100M run, softball throw
Jahaziel Bandera, sixth grade, Drauden Point - 100M run and softball throw
Nick Lammert, sixth grade, Drauden Point – 100M run
Gwen Olimene, sixth grade, Drauden Point – tennis ball throw
Vahin Choudhury, sixth grade, Ira Jones – softball throw
This is the inaugural year for Special Olympics at the middle school level in District 202. High school students can already participate in Special Olympics.
Students from all district middle school specialized programs can participate in Special Olympics, said Haley Koziol, athletic director, and special education teacher at Drauden Point.
Students from Drauden Point and Ira Jones middle schools participated in the program in its first year, but the goal is to recruit more students from the other schools for basketball season, she said.
"The Special Olympics organization and the creation of our middle school team play such an important role in enhancing the lives of our students with disabilities by promoting inclusion and acceptance, creating opportunities for our athletes to build friendships and a community, especially since the middle school team is a unified team with athletes from various schools competing together,” said Dr. Mary Ann Deliberto, District 202 Director of Student Services for Middle School and Specialized Programs.
