Basketball skills part of Special Olympics competition

The Bi-County Bulldogs, the Lee County SEA and the CDH Educational Center participated in a Special Olympics Region A basketball skills competition at Dixon High School on Jan. 15.

Bi-County Bulldogs athletes. Front row (left to right): Marshall Armstrong, Nora Kasinger, Ashley Ogburn, Embrey Toppert, Iligah Williams, Collin Mealing, Kaleb Lewis, Tayshonn Kelly. Back row (left to right): Bradley Stuart, Samantha Zimmerman, Lucy Kurtz, Stella Volkert, Andrew Bertolozzi, Joey Carlson

Basketball skills is a competition where teams and individuals can better develop their basketball skills. Events include spot shot, target pass, 10-meter dribble and the 5-on-5 team competition.

Lee County SEA individual skills winners who placed first in their age and gender category were Joel Brooks, Kyran Brooks, Kaitlin O’Donnell, Connley Shank and Elizabeth Stauter. Anthony Burke placed second.

Bi-County Bulldogs individual skills winners were Stella Volkert, Samantha Zimmerman, and Collin Mealing. Second-place finishers were Iligah Williams Marshall Armstrong, Andrew Bertolozzi, Joseph Carlson, Tayshonn Kelly, Lucy Kurtz and Embrey Toppert. Ashley Ogburn was third. Other competitors were Nora Kasinger, Kaleb Lewis and Bradley Stuart.

For CDH, Presley Meinen was first.

Gold medalists qualified for the state basketball tournament, scheduled for March 12.

Heading to state (left to right): Lucy Kurtz, Stella Volkert — From left, Lucy Kurtz and Stella Volkert

Heading to state (left to right): Collin Mealing, Samantha Zimmerman — From left: Collin Mealing and Samantha Zimmerman

Special Olympics Illinois is a nonprofit organization offering year round training and competition in 18 sports for more than 23,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities and 13,000 young athletes between the ages of 2 and 7 both with and without intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics programs help enhance motor skills, social skills, self-confidence, physical fitness and encourage community and family support. Special Olympics helps transform the lives of people with intellectual disabilities to help them realize their full potential in sports and life.