:quality(70):focal(1965x1030:1975x1040)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/VTY2IARFFNHSNAWQ653EAA6ABM.jpg)
STERLING — The Bi-County Bulldogs are headed to the Illinois Special Olympics Summer Games, which will take place June 7-9 in Bloomington-Normal.
Seventeen Bulldogs athletes will compete in track and field, referred to as athletics by Summer Games organizers, and in soccer skills that include dribbling, running kick and shooting.
Bulldogs athletes qualified for the Summer Games at regional competitions held last month at Machesney Park, Harlem and Darien Hinsdale South high schools. This will be the first time Bulldogs athletes will compete in soccer skills at the Summer Games.
“We offered soccer skills this year to give our athletes another opportunity to compete,” said Bulldogs coach Mandi Roggy.
Here are the Bulldogs who qualified for the Summer Games. Those who qualified in track and field and soccer skills needed to decide which sport to compete in at the Summer Games because athletes can compete in just one sport.
Track and field
* Mariah Delancey, 12, Rock Falls: 50-meter run.
* Brendon Hoagland, 13, Rock Falls: javelin.
* Catherine Houzenga, 15, Fulton: 50-meter run and softball throw.
* Stephanie Howard, 16, Fulton: 50-meter run and softball throw.
* Damian Hughes, 18, Sterling: 50-meter run.
* Nora Kasinger, 13, Fulton: mini-javelin.
* Zachariah Kaye, 16, Morrison: 50-meter run.
* Lucy Kurtz, 13, Fulton: softball throw.
* Collin Mealing, 15, Sterling: 800-meter run.
* Samantha Merriman, 27, Dixon: 100-meter run.
* Kaleb Schipper, 21, Fulton: 50-meter run and mini-javelin.
* Stella Volkert, 13, Fulton: 50-meter run and softball throw.
* Illigah Williams, 15, Rock Falls: 50-meter run and mini-javelin.
* Samantha Zimmerman, 18, Lanark: softball throw.
Soccer skills
* Brendon Hoagland
* Stephanie Howard (will compete in track and field)
* Zachariah Kaye
* Havannah Lee, 17, Sterling
* Kaleb Lewis, 11, Milledgeville
* Collin Mealing (will compete in track and field)
* Samantha Merriman (will compete in track and field)
* Kaleb Schipper (will compete in track and field)
* River Weston, 11, Morrison
Roggy, a special-education paraprofessional at Morrison High School, also was the coach of the Bulldogs basketball team that competed at the Illinois Special Olympics state basketball tournament during the winter in Bloomington-Normal.
With track and soccer skills being individual sports instead of a team sport, her coaching approach is a bit different.
“I emphasize to our track and field and soccer skills athletes that when they compete, they need to focus on themselves, not the people around them,” Roggy said.
Jess Hurley, Roggy’s finance, is a Bulldogs assistant coach. He said there is still a team aspect to those individual sports.
“We’re all in this together,” he said. “We cheer for each other and support each other.”
Most of the Summer Games events will be held at Illinois State University in Normal.
The Bulldogs will represent the Bi-County Special Education Cooperative at the Summer Games. The cooperative was formed in 1969. It provides special-education services to 11 member school districts. Regional offices of education in Sterling and Freeport also are members.