Malvern students shine during the 2022-2023 special Olympics
Students in the Malvern School District are making big wins in the Arkansas 2022-2023 Special Olympics, which have been held at various locations around central Arkansas throughout the last several months for participants in Area 10, which is comprised of Hot Spring, Garland, Montgomery, Pike, Clark and Saline counties.
“The mission of Special Olympics Arkansas is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for all children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community,” as stated on the organization’s website.
Malvern students competed in volleyball, basketball, bowling, track and swimming and took home top awards in several categories. Track & Field activities took place at Lakeside High School on April 12. Basketball competitions took place at Jessieville High School on March 6. Volleyball competitions took place Dec. 7, 2022, at The River Center in Benton. Bowling competitions took place in November of last year at Central Bowling Lanes in Hot Springs.
Student competitors from Malvern High School included Jordan Brink, Jonathan Smith, Autumn Loftis, Falon Web, Alex Jackson and De’onte Bailey. All MHS competitors won Gold in the bowling, with Brink and Loftis also winning Gold at the State Bowling level.
Brink, Smith and Loftis also won medals in basketball, earning one Silver and two Gold’s, respectively. Loftis also took home the Silver medal in the 25-meter swim race and placed 2nd in the 25-meter walk. Brink took home the Bronze in the swim race and 1st in the 25-meter walk.
Students from Wilson Intermediate/mms who participated included Tegan Blackburn, Summer Hughes, Cayce Hunter, Kayden Jennings, Jayden Lea, Ronnie Rhodes and Adrian Wyrick.
All WIS/MMS students who competed won medals or placed in the volleyball category, with Hughes, Hunter and Rhodes taking home the Gold. Hunter, Jennings, Lea, Rhodes and Wyrick all received medals in bowling, with Rhodes and Lea securing the Gold in that category.
Malvern Elementary School students who competed were Eva Norwood, Iszzy Powell, Lee Lofton, Gabriel Milner, Luis Angel Padilla, Cyrus Curtis, Joseph Haymon, Axel Allgood, Evan Weiner, Tyler Yoos, Khary Dickens, Kenya Gonzales, Reece Jarrett, Ja’marien Furlow, Travis Mccullough, Brantley Mason, Lawrence Hunter and Jaden Ewing.
MES students primarily competed in the volleyball, basketball and bowling categories, with Norwood, Powell, Curtis, Yoos, Dickens, Furlow, Mccullough and Ewing winning the Team Gold medals. Furlow, Mason and Ewing all took home the Gold in bowling, while Weiner, Mccullough and Dickens won the Silver, and Yoos and Gonzales each took home the Bronze.
The fun lasts all year long, but the main event is the Special Olympics Arkansas Summer Games, which are held every year at Harding University in Searcy. This year’s Summer Games will kick off
“Our largest event of the year, Summer Games features competition in athletics, bocce, flag football, powerlifting, swimming and team softball. Every race, every game, and every competition held at Summer Games represents many weeks of training, preparation and dedication on the part of our athletes, coaches, and volunteers,” as stated on their website.
The Summer Games officially begin on May 18 but kick off with a three-day torch bearing event that will traverse the state beforehand.
“The excitement for the event will really kick-off on Monday May 15th as Law Enforcement Officers begin carrying the “Flame of Hope” from all four corners of the state,” as stated on their website.
“These celebrations are meant to serve as a pep rally to bring awareness for Special Olympics Arkansas athletes and Summer Games,” the website states.
“Guardians of the Flame will converge on the steps of the State Capitol to join their flames in a ceremonial lighting of the Final Leg Torch. Law Enforcement Officers will then take off on the Final Leg, a 50 mile continuous run, to Searcy. Officers will complete the Final Leg by running the Flame of Hope into Harding Stadium for the Summer Games Opening Ceremonies on Thursday May 18,” the website states.