Student-athletes from Kirby School District 140 excelled at the Area 7 Special Olympics Individual Basketball Skills and Team Competitions held during January.
D140’s Special Olympic Basketball Team brought home a gold medal for their first-place finish in the Junior Division III Regional Special Olympic Basketball Tournament held at Jacobs High School on January 14th. Additionally, six D140 athletes brought home medals and ribbons for their efforts at the Basketball Skills Competition held at Evergreen Park High School on January 21st.
"We are incredibly proud of our athletes," said District Special Olympics Coordinator Denise O’Brien.
Representing KSD 140 were students from Keller, McAuliffe, Millennium, Grissom and Prairie View. Basketball Team members included Nick Bjornson, Lauren Blount, Frank Cannonito , CJ Devine, Mary Elmore, Camden Harvey, JT Morris and Colin Ritchie. Individual Basketball Skills included Cristina Amoranto, Andrew Kaley, Zach Peterson, Joy Renje and Will Staudacher. District 140 Special Olympic Coordinators are Denise O'Brien and Laura Cler.
Area 7 of the Illinois Special Olympics was founded in 1981 and offers year-round training and competition in 18 sports to more than 23,000 athletes. Their mission is to provide children and adults with 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 Olympic athletes and their communities.