Special Olympics Athletes bring home hardware from State Summer Games

NAMPA — Sandpoint sent six Special Olympics athletes and two unified athletes down to the Special Olympics State Summer Games held Saturday, June 7, at different venues in the Greater Nampa area.

Competing in the track and field competition at Nampa High were Burton Radonich, Hayley Thompson and Kyle Horowitz. Radonich grabbed silver medals in the long jump and 100- and 200-meter dashes, Thompson garnered a gold in the long jump, silver in the 100-meter dash, and bronze in the 200-meter dash, and Horowitz received gold in the 100-meter dash and bronze in both the softball throw and 200-meter dash.

Competing in the aquatics competition at Harward Recreation Center were Bob Leichtman, Jordan Bennett and Campbell Wyman. Leichtman came home with a bronze in the 25-yard floatation event and a gold in the 15-yard unassisted walk, Bennett captured gold in the 50-yard back and 200-yard free, and Wyman earned gold in both the 50-yard fly and 200-yard breast. In the 4x25 unified relay, Trace and Owen Bennett, brothers of Jordan, along with Wyman, grabbed the final gold medal of event. They crew's goal was to finish the race in under a minute and they achieved that, swimming to a blazing fast time of 58.2 seconds. 

    From left, Owen Bennett, Jordan Bennett, Bob Leichtman, Campbell Wyman and Trace Bennett show off the medals they won at the Special Olympics Idaho State Summer Games' aquatics competition held Saturday, June 7, at the Harward Recreation Center in Nampa.