Two Powell athletes scored state championships at the Special Olympics Wyoming Summer State Games in Gillette and the basketball team scored a spot on the podium, placing second in a close battle in …
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Two Powell athletes scored state championships at the Special Olympics Wyoming Summer State Games in Gillette and the basketball team scored a spot on the podium, placing second in a close battle in the championship game.
Richard Burbank took first in the 50-yard freestyle swim, Mary Kate Herrera took the gold medal in the 15-yard swim walk, and Willow Hagstrom, Herrera, Matt Elkins-Graham and Rob Wenstrom finished second in 3-on-3 basketball after a title game that went to overtime. The team fought to the end, losing by only one point.
“Athletes showed bravery, determination, and grit in competition throughout the week,” Special Olympics Wyoming proclaimed last week on social media.
The team was thrilled to be welcomed back to Powell by a police department escort after the May 2-4 competition, said coach Kimberly Mooney. She also credited the Powell Aquatic Center and the Superbowl Bowling Alley in Cody for helping to support Special Olympics athletes.
“They’ve been great to allow us to practice there,” she said, adding a special thanks to Powell Police Officer Matt Koritnik for organizing the escort.
The team will be celebrating the successes in Area 2 and at state at the Byron Bar on May 25 at 6 p.m. There will also be an auction of products and services donated by local companies and individuals to help recoup costs from the long trips for the Special Olympics team. All proceeds will go to the Powell team to help continue participation in future competitions.
With more than 4 million athletes and Unified partners and 1 million coaches and volunteers in over 200 accredited programs, Special Olympics delivers more than 30 Olympic-type sports and over 100,000 games and competitions every year. Over the past two decades, Special Olympics has improved the health of people with intellectual disabilities around the world by collaborating with our athletes, health care providers, community organizations, universities and governments.
Special Olympics is Wyoming’s largest sports organization for people with disabilities. To make a donation to our local athletes: Powell Special Olympics, 147 S. Bent St., Powell, WY 82435.