Troy School District 30C Special Olympics students earn Team of the Year

SHOREWOOD – Special Olympics students at Troy School District 30C were named, “Team of the Year,” at the 2015 Special Olympics Illinois Spring Games held on May 2 in South Holland.

This year, Troy’s Special Olympics program added the Young Athletes branch of Special Olympics that allows children ages 2 to 7 to compete. Also new to the program this year is the inclusion of William B. Orenic Intermediate School’s LEAD Club students as volunteer coaches.

Bringing home gold medals from Troy schools were Adam Arias, eighth grade, for softball throw; Kaytia Jones, fifth grade, for 100-m run; Cami Bryant, eighth grade, for softball throw; Hanah Smith, eighth grade, for softball throw; Justin Orta, fourth grade, for the 100-m run and softball throw; Lawson Sizemore, sixth grade, for motorized 50-m slalom and tennis ball throw; Mark Harrelson, fifth grade, for 100-m run; and Seren Jenkins, fourth grade, for 100-m run and softball throw.

Other Troy Special Olympic athletes who competed at the event were Sarah Schutter, Caroline Collins, Carly Ruddy, Jonah Gonda, Henry Bilus, Lilly Jameson, Zoe Barnes, Ashley Castillo and Layla Mozaffarzadeh.

The Special Olympians were from Troy Crossroads Elementary and Troy Craughwell Elementary Schools, William B. Orenic Intermediate School and Troy Middle School.

Next year, the Troy Special Olympics program hopes to bring in the Troy Trojan cheerleading squad to add its own brand of spirit to the Special Olympics basketball program. Also planned is a broadening of the district’s Young Athletes program to include students ages 2 to 7.