Special Olympics Illinois athletes triumph at state basketball tournament

Lincoln team places third

[March 22, 2014]  NORMAL — Special Olympics Illinois crowned its state champions at a state basketball tournament March 14-16 at Illinois State University's Horton Field House in Normal and Illinois Wesleyan University's Shirk Center in Bloomington. More than 1,600 athletes competed on 132 teams and individual skills competition at the tournament. To see results, click here (PDF).

Athletes participated in five categories of play and were in divisions within each category, based on their age and skill level:

• Senior/male: 63 teams including at least one male player 16 years or older.

• Female: 20 all-female teams with players 16 years or older.

• High school: 35 teams with players of high school age.

• Junior: 14 teams including male and female players under the age of 16.

• Individual skills: About 225 athletes tested their abilities in dribbling, passing and shooting.

• Young athletes: Seven young athletes ages 6-7 demonstrated their individual skills abilities.

To compete in the state tournament, athletes must have completed eight weeks of training. Senior/male and high school teams qualified through district tournaments in the state.

As official partners of Special Olympics Illinois, the Illinois Knights of Columbus and the Law Enforcement Torch Run were Gold Medal sponsors of the basketball tournament. Special Olympics Illinois partners with the Shirk Family Foundation in presenting the annual state basketball tournament.

[Text from file received from Special Olympics Illinois]

Special Olympics Illinois is a not-for-profit organization offering year-round training and competition in 19 sports for nearly 21,500 athletes with intellectual disabilities and more than 18,000 young athletes ages 2-7 with and without intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics changes lives by empowering people with intellectual disabilities to realize their full potential in sports and in life. Special Olympics programs enhance physical fitness, motor skills, self-confidence, social skills, and encourage family and community support. To learn more about Special Olympics Illinois, volunteering or providing financial support to help make Special Olympics programs possible, contact your local Special Olympics agency, call 800-394-0562 or visit www.soill.org.