OTHELLO – The Othello Special Olympics Dream Team qualified both their soccer and track teams for the state tournament over the weekend. Overall, the Dream Team took home seven medals from the tournament. 

“I think it’s very important that they can be proud, and they can get out there and do things that they’re capable of and feel really good about themselves,” said Dream Team Coach Pam Schmidt. 

The Dream Team had three athletes participate in track and field events over the weekend, Megan Lembcke, Jairus Escamilla and Jazmine Martinez, after each earned gold at the regional tournament in Cheney. Lembcke earned a bronze in javelin, a silver in the 50m run and a bronze in the 200m run. Escamilla earned the silver in softball throw. Martinez earned silver in the 50m run. 

Schmidt said the main goal she created for the athletes as they all ran in the 200m event was for them to run the entire course without having to walk. All three athletes were able to accomplish this goal in the state tournament.

“That was a big goal that we hit,” she said. 

The soccer team was very encouraged as they entered the state tournament over the weekend, said the coach. The support system created by the parents of the athletes as they stood around the track helped give the players the motivation that they needed to push themselves. 

“I think that they really take that encouragement and support and put it to good use in getting themselves around that track,” said Schmidt. 

Their soccer team is made up of ten players and was placed in one of the highest divisions that the Special Olympics has at the State tournament. The Dream Team had some hard-fought games during that first day, with two of the games resulting in ties that went into shootouts at the net, with one even going into double overtime but ultimately would lose all three of their games on Saturday. 

“It was good for us to see where we needed to have some growth and things we needed to change and what we needed to do,” said the coach. 

The next day, going into the medals round the team came back up with a win to earn them third place in the tournament. Schmidt said the teamwork and communication from the Dream Team is what earned them their third-place victory over the weekend. 

She said the soccer team has had great success all season, leading up to them meeting their goal of qualifying for the state tournament. The Dream Team also hosted the East Region tournament in Othello this season. 

“The team came together,” said Schmidt. “They were working together with one another, learned a lot of new passes and plays.” 

The team also had a player, Candace Montejano, who played in the individual skills soccer event. She earned a gold medal in the event.  

Now that the Spring season is over, the Dream Team enters six weeks of downtime before the Fall season begins with flag football and bowling. During this time, the team plans to play some tee ball and softball, do barbecues and overall take some time to relax while keeping active, said Schmidt. 

“Especially for flag football, I’m telling them to get out there and move,” she said. “We do a lot of walking, a lot of running, a lot of activity-type things just to keep them in shape.” 

This year will be the first time the team will get to bowl in Othello now that the bowling alley has returned to the city after four years. Prior to this, the team would have to travel to Moses Lake for events and to practice. 

The team will also be participating in the Cop on Top fundraising event July 18 at the Moses Lake Walmart for the Special Olympics.  

The Special Olympics team in Othello first started out as a unified high school sport, and as the athletes graduated out of high school, the community started the Special Olympics program in the city. Today, the team consists of around 20 athletes and participates in a variety of sports. 

“One thing about Special Olympics is, it’s a sport, but it’s so much more,” said Schmidt. “It becomes a healthy lifestyle for these athletes who have physical and intellectual disabilities. It’s an outlet to keep them active and moving and part of the community.” 

    Dream Team’s Jairus Escamilla runs in one of the track and field events at the state tournament. Escamilla earned fifth in 100m, sixth in 200m and silver in the softball throw event.
  

    Megan Lembcke with the Dream team stands at the podium after earning a bronze in javelin. She also earned a silver medal in the 50m run and another bronze in the 200m run.
  

    Dream Team’s Candace Montejano receives a gold medal for the Individual Skills Soccer event at the state tournament. The team took home a total of seven medals from the tournament.
  

    Jazmine Martinez from the Othello Dream team celebrates earning a silver medal in the 50m run during the state tournament. She also earned fourth in softball throw and fourth in the 200m run.