Special Olympics Illinois athletes triumph in state basketball tournament

Lincoln Jaguars take 1st place

[March 23, 2013]  NORMAL -- Special Olympics Illinois crowned its state basketball champions at a tournament March 15-17 at Illinois State University’s Horton Field House, Normal, and Illinois Wesleyan University’s Shirk Center, Bloomington. More than 1,600 athletes competed on 136 teams and in individual skills competition at the tournament. View results at http://www.soill.org/downloadfile.php?docID=4862.

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

• Senior-male: 62 teams including at least one male player 16 years or older

• Female: 23 all-female teams with players 16 years or older

• High school: 34 teams with players of high school age

• Junior: 17 teams including male and female players under the age of 16

• Individual skills: About 265 athletes tested their abilities in dribbling, passing and shooting.

• Young Athletes program: 11 young athletes ages 6-7 demonstrated their individual skills.

To compete in the state tournament, athletes are required to complete 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 tournament.

Special Olympics Illinois is a not-for-profit organization offering year-round training and competition in 19 sports for more than 21,300 athletes with intellectual disabilities and nearly 13,000 in the Young Athletes program for 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, to volunteer or provide financial support to help make Special Olympics programs possible, contact a local Special Olympics agency, call 800-394-0562 or visit www.soill.org.

[Text from file received from Special Olympics Illinois]