Special Olympics 2024 Spring Games

The Special Olympics Marshall and Starke Counties program just competed in the Area 1 annual Spring Games. 

Twenty-one athletes participated in the Track Tournament and eleven athletes swam in the Area 1 swim meet in Valparaiso on Saturday May 11th.  They competed against athletes from other counties in the area including St. Joseph, Porter, Lake, and Elkhart County

Athletes competed in running events from 50 meter to 1500 meters and in walking events up to 800 meters.  Field events like the softball throw, mini javelin, shot put, standing long jump, and running long jump.  They also had relay events in both track and swimming.  Swimmers competed in medley events from individual to relay.  They also competed in backstroke and freestyle races.

On June 6th, thirty-eight athletes and several coaches and volunteers will be heading to Terre Haute for the Summer Games.  Athletes will be competing in Track & Field, Swimming, Bowling, and Powerlifting over the course of treeh days at ISU and Rose Holman. 

The athletes will be leaving Culver on Thursday, June 6th at 6:00 PM ET and they are welcoming the public to line the sidewalks waving and cheering them on as they leave Culver.  The athletes will leave from Culver High School at 6 p.m. on June 6th and continue to Academy Road.  They will travel down Lake Shore Drive and pass the beach area, and then south onto Main Street.

Swimmers: Left to right:  Garrett Hooper, Leigh Hooper Connor Parker, David Parker, Coach Lori Simpson, Lucas Thangam, Shannon James, Unified Partner Hayden Lute, Jared Holt, Coach Josh Kornblith, Lia Horstmann, Unified Partner Arwen Kornblith, Makayla Strickland.

1st photo: Left to Right

Front row:  Xavier Lawrence, Bobby Bunting, Justus Crum, Dalton Dimmitt, Pearl Moore, Annie Castle,

2nd Row: Susan Renz, Kasey Jones, Valerie Luby, Tayor Hesting, Asher Short

3rd Row: Brittney Riffle, Donovan Newton, David Renz, TJ Trusty, County Coordinator Jackie Ziaja

4th Row: Christopher Rodriquez, Samantha Hunt, Mary Unternahrer, Mariah Leininger

Back row:  Roger Stoner, Volunteer Evelyn Snyder, Volunteer Charles Snyder

Standing:  Christian Radican

Not Pictured:  Coach Noel Soria, Coach Sonja Soria