University of Minnesota Athletics
2025-26 Gallery
Wesley Dahle
February 28, 2026 – Gopher Men’s Basketball
Wesley participates in basketball, bowling, flag football, poly hockey, recreational soccer, recreational bowling and softball. His favorite memories include speaking at the Opening Ceremony for the State Bowling Tournament and running for a touchdown during the Special Olympics of Minnesota State Flag Football Tournament. In addition to competing, Wesley has served as a member of the Special Olympics of Minnesota Athlete Leadership Council and a Jersey Mike’s Athlete Ambassador.
Lucy Schneider
February 21, 2026 – Gopher Women’s Hockey
Lucy participates in basketball, bowling, flag football, gymnastics, poly hockey and softball. While she’s created many memories as an athlete, her favorite was when she was chosen for the Special Olympics Unified All-Star Soccer Game in 2023 and got to go to D.C. to participate! Special Olympics has had a huge impact on Lucy’s life and allowed her to discover her love of sports and the opportunity to play so many of them!
Kendra Busch
February 7, 2026 – Gopher Men’s Hockey
Kendra participates in basketball, track & field, bocce ball, softball, soccer, bowling, cornhole, poly hockey and snowshoeing. Her favorite memory is playing basketball with the Special Olympics Unified Club at the University of Minnesota and competing in Half Court Basketball at the 2022 USA Games in Orlando, Florida as part of Team Minnesota where they took home the gold medal! Kendra is now looking forward to competing in Soccer as part of Team Minnesota at the 2026 USA Game this June!
Jazmine Westman
February 7, 2026 – Gopher Women’s Hockey
Jazmine participates in bowling and track & field. In addition to competing, she is a member of Camp Confidence Lions Club, which involves volunteer opportunities on a lot of different projects, and has helped at the State Bowling event.
Niko Lichtscheidl
January 31, 2026 – Gopher Men’s Hockey
Niko participated in swimming, track & field, bocce and bowling competitively. In addition to competing, Niko has also helped coach basketball, track & field, bocce, bowling, flag football and poly hockey. Niko’s favorite memory with Special Olympics is helping raise money by participating in the Polar Plunge with friends from Northern Lights!
Sidney Kuechle
January 25, 2026 – Gopher Women’s Basketball
Sidney participates in basketball, track, swimming, golf, bocce ball, bean bags and bowling. Her favorite memory is being selected to represent Team Minnesota at the USA Games in Orlando in 2022, where she was on the track team and went home with two gold medals. Sidney plans to make even more memories after being selected to participate in swimming for Team Minnesota at the 2026 USA Games this June here at the University of Minnesota!
Allie Henley
January 24, 2026 – Gopher Men’s Basketball
Allie participates in bowling, floor hockey, swimming, track, bocce ball, golf and power lifting. Allie’s favorite part of Special Olympics is the support system it’s provided – When her mom passed away in 2021 she never felt alone and continued to be lifted up by her teammates, coaches and friends. Allie is also passionate about public speaking and fitness, serving as a fitness captain for Team Minnesota, so she like to remind everyone how important exercise is for physical and emotional health!
Anna Hilborn
January 11, 2026 – Gopher Women's Basketball
Anna participates in soccer, track & field and poly hockey. In addition to competing, she's also a member of the Athlete Leadership Council, a fitness champion and a Jersey Mike's ambassador. Anna's favorite memory from taking part in the Special Olympics is competing in her first USA Games in Orlando, Florida in 2022.
2024-25 Gallery
Jacob Lehner
March 5, 2025 – Gopher Men's Basketball
Jacob participates in both basketball and bowling as a member of Special Olympics Minnesota. Jacob has competed in Special Olympics for 10 years and has made many special memories while practicing, competing, and spending time with his friends!
Jimmy Bergeron
February 21, 2025 – Gopher Men’s Hockey
Jimmy is a graduate of Humboldt High School and is a member of the Roseville Flames. As a Special Olympics athlete, Jimmy participates in skiing, bowling, tennis, swimming, track, basketball, softball and floor hockey. Jimmy’s favorite memory is when he attended the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi in 2019!
Graeme Lindstrom
February 8, 2025 – Gopher Men's Basketball
Jessica competes in golf, bowling and flag football. Some of Jessica’s favorite memories as an athlete include participating in the Bad Pants Open, mentoring a grade school athlete on the basics of bowling and sharing a poem she wrote herself at golf regionals about people with special needs!
Michael Grace
February 6, 2025 – Gopher Women’s Basketball
Michael is a graduate of Minneapolis Southwest High School and Transition Plus and has participated in Special Olympics for over 12 years! Michael competes in Unified basketball, soccer, golf, flag football, bowling, pickleball and track. While Michael has many memories, his favorites are competing in basketball at the 2022 USA Games in Orlando, participating in the University of Minnesota Homecoming Parade for two years and hanging out with his friends at the U of M Special Olympics Club!
Jessica Thompson
January 31, 2025 – Gopher Women’s Hockey
Jessica competes in golf, bowling and flag football. Some of Jessica’s favorite memories as an athlete include participating in the Bad Pants Open, mentoring a grade school athlete on the basics of bowling and sharing a poem she wrote herself at golf regionals about people with special needs!
Gregory Renn
January 17, 2025 – Gopher Women’s Hockey
Gregory is a member of The Blast, one of the Special Olympics delegations in Minnesota, and participates in several sports including football, basketball, floor hockey, softball, soccer and golf. Gregory’s had many wonderful experiences as an athlete, but his favorite is making new friends!
Kendra Busch
January 5, 2025 – Gopher Women’s Basketball
Kendra participates in several sports as a member of Special Olympics Minnesota, including Basketball, Track & Field, Bocce Ball, Softball, Soccer, Bowling, Poly Hockey and snowshoeing. Kendra’s favorite Special Olympics memory is going to the 2022 USA Games in Orlando, Florida to compete in half-court basketball, where she took home the gold medal for Team Minnesota.
Alex Ashkar
December 6, 2024 – Gopher Men’s Hockey
Alex has been a member of Special Olympics Minnesota since elementary school and participates in basketball, softball, golf, and unified flag football. Alex’s favorite memory was being a part of the Vikings 2024 Unified Flag Football Team, which gave him the opportunity to travel to Jacksonville, Florida and play the Jaguar Unified Flag Football Team.
2023-24 Gallery
Matthew Krohn
March 2, 2024 – Gopher Men’s Basketball
Matthew Krohn has been a part of Special Olympics Minnesota since he was 8 years old and participates in poly hockey, bowling, swimming, track & field, and Bocce. Matthew’s favorite memory is competing in the 2023 World Games in Germany, where he won a gold medal in the 25-meter backstroke!
Michael Grace & Lassie Moore
February 23, 2024 – Gopher Women’s Hockey
Michael Grace and Lassie Moore are a Unified pair who both participate in unified basketball, soccer, golf, flag football, bowling, and pickleball and Michael also competes in track. Michael’s favorite memories are the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in Orlando, Florida and the 2023 University of Minnesota Homecoming parade! One of Lassie’s favorite memories is also the Homecoming parade, as well as playing flag football in Huntington Bank Stadium on beautiful fall nights.
Tiffany Carey
February 20, 2024 – Gopher Women’s Basketball
Tiffany Carey participates in bowling, basketball, poly hockey, and gymnastics, which is her favorite sport of all! Gymnastics even took Tiffany to the world stage when she represented Special Olympics USA at the 2023 World Games in Berlin, Germany alongside five other athletes competing in artistic gymnastics!
Connor Holcomb
February 10, 2024 – Gopher Men’s Hockey
Connor Holcomb participates in swimming, basketball, bowling, flag football, golf and poly hockey. Some of Connor’s favorite memories include competing in swimming at the USA Games in Seattle in 2018, taking gold in the 4 x 50 relay in swimming at the Summer Games and scoring a touchdown as a member of the Waconia Wildcats!
Abby Hirsch
February 3, 2024 – Gopher Women’s Hockey
Abby Hirsch participates in poly hockey, basketball, bocce ball, bowling, downhill skiing, powerlifting, swimming and track & field. Abby’s favorite Special Olympics memories include participating in the U.S. Games in Princeton, New Jersey in swimming, where she won one gold, two silver and a bronze medal, as well as speaking on Capitol Hill on behalf of Special Olympics and being selected to serve on the Special Olympics Minnesota Board of Directors!
David Booth
February 3, 2024 – Gopher Men’s Basketball
David Booth participates in softball, poly hockey, basketball, tennis and top golf and is a member of the Burnsville Blast. David’s favorite memories are when he’s able to compete while also helping bring more exciting opportunities to his fellow athletes. In addition to competing as an athlete, David is a proud participant on the Special Olympics Minnesota Board of Directors!
Tyler Tinucci
January 20, 2024 – Gopher Men’s Hockey
Tyler Tinucci is a member of the Hastings Sharks and is a participant in Poly Hockey, Softball, Basketball, Flag Football, Golf and the Minnesota United Unified Soccer Team. Tyler’s favorite memory is making the Minnesota United unified soccer team two years in a row and traveling to California with the Minnesota United professional team to play against San Jose. A special thanks to Affinity Plus for their support of Gopher Athletics and Special Olympics Minnesota!
Kathleen Morrison
December 2, 2023 – Gopher Women’s Basketball
Kathleen Morrison is a 12th grader at St. Anthony Village High School and is involved with the Unified Student Board of Directors, serving as the President this year! Kathleen’s favorite memories include attending Special Olympics Day at the Capital last year, meeting and hanging out with Eric Perkins this fall and being Homecoming Queen at her school this year!
2022-23 Gallery
Bria & Connor King
March 5, 2023 – Gopher Men’s Basketball
Bria King and Connor King are siblings and a Unified Pair! Both Bria and Connor participate in Bocce Ball, Bowling, Basketball, Soccer and Track & Field. Bria’s favorite memory is playing in the Unified Soccer game at Allianz Field, while Connor’s favorite memory is getting to spend quality time with his sister and becoming closer after each Unified event.
Maddie Cardinal
February 15th, 2023 – Gopher Women’s Basketball
Maddie competes in a variety of sports, including basketball, track, flag football, bowling, soccer and dance. Maddie enjoys participating in Special Olympics because she makes so many friends and she loves getting medals.
Carter Hicks & Matthew Lew
February 11th, 2023 – Gopher Women’s Hockey
Carter participates in basketball, floor hockey and softball, while Matthew is a Unified Partner who competes in basketball. Carter is a very dedicated player and loves being a part of a team. Both Carter and Matthew’s favorite memory is participating in the Unified State Basketball Tournament.
James Brown & Jason Jackson
February 1st, 2023 – Gopher Women’s Basketball
James competes in Adapted Soccer and Unified Basketball, while Jason competes in basketball, track and bowling. James’s favorite memory is winning the Minnesota State Adapted Soccer Consolation Championship and Jason’s favorite memory is winning gold at state back in 2018.
Abby Pearson
January 28th, 2023 – Gopher Men’s Hockey
Abby participates in a variety of sports, including basketball, swimming, track & field, bocce ball, bowling, powerlifting and poly hockey, and has completed the Polar Plunge 13 times! Her favorite memories include making personal records in powerlifting and always being brave in the attempt in whatever sport she is competing in.
Matthew Olson & Carter Havelak
December 11th, 2022 – Gopher Men’s Basketball
Matthew and Carter compete in Unified Basketball, but Matthew also competes in bowling and Carter plays soccer. Both Matthew and Carter’s favorite memory is playing in the Unified state basketball tournament at Target Center, making baskets and hearing the crowd cheer on their team!
Austin Wilcox
December 10th, 2022 – Gopher Men’s Hockey
Austin participates in Poly Hockey, Basketball, Bowling and Flag Football. Austin’s favorite memory is when his team won first place in the Poly Hockey Tournament in 2019. In addition to competing, Austin is also a Boy Scout and loves fishing and swimming!
Sophia & Zoe Wright
December 2nd, 2022 – Gopher Women’s Hockey
Sophia and Zoe Wright are sisters who compete as a Unified Pair in Bocce Ball for Team Minnesota! Both Sopher and Zoe also enjoy bowling, basketball, track and tennis! Some of Sophia’s favorite memories are bowling strikes, while Zoe’s favorite memory is playing bocce ball at the regional tournament.
2021-22 Gallery
Abby Neeser and Bekah Thom
January 22nd, 2022 – Gopher Women’s Hockey
Abby and Bekah are cousins that compete as a Unified Pair on Team Minnesota Unified Bocce and have been competing as a team in bocce ball since 2013! Abby and Bekah are always encouraging each other to do their best, and this year they will be heading to Orlando to compete in the 2022 USA Games as part of Team Minnesota!
AJ Sherwood
January 27th, 2022 – Gopher Men’s Basketball
AJ is with Team Minnesota Track and Field and has been involved in Special Olympics for fifteen years. He loves sports and has participated in many, including alpine skiing, bowling, basketball, flag football, softball, and more! AJ has even participated in the Athlete Leadership Program and is a Global Messenger for Special Olympics! AJ Is excited to be representing Team Minnesota Track and Field in the 2022 US Games in Orlando in June, where he will participate in the 100 and 200 meter dash and the running long jump.
Austin Ewing
February 5th, 2022 – Gopher Men’s Hockey
Austin Ewing is with Team Minnesota Powerlifting. Austin has participated in various Special Olympics events including basketball, bowling and track and field. He also graduated from the Special Olympics Athlete Leadership program which gave him leadership tools and confidence to chase his goals. This summer, he will represent Team Minnesota in the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games.
Peyton Libby
February 6th, 2022 – Gopher Women’s Basketball
Peyton is a junior in high school and is with Team Minnesota Half-Court Basketball. She’s been involved with Special Olympics since 2012, participating in track & field, bowling, unified dance, and snowshoeing. She brings her upbeat attitude and encouragement of others to every competition! In her spare time, Peyton also enjoys going to the cabin, church, baking, and singing & playing with her impressive Hot Wheels collection. She is looking forward to representing Team Minnesota in 3-on-3 women’s basketball at the 2022 USA Games!
Chelsey & Maria Roesner – Unified Pair
February 19th, 2022 – Gopher Women’s Hockey
Chelsey and Maria Roener are sisters that compete together as a unified pair in bocce ball and bowling, which led Maria to become a bocce ball coach. Chelsey has been involved in Special Olympics for 16 years and participates in bocce ball, bowling, and track. Chelsey will be representing Team Minnesota at the USA games this summer and says doing it with her sister makes it even more special!
Anna Stankevitz
February 24th, 2022 – Gopher Women’s Basketball
Anna is with Team Minnesota Gymnastics and has been participating in many sports through Special Olympics for 7 years, including flag football, basketball, dance, bowling, soccer, and track. Her favorite activity is cheering on her Unified Partners at all of their events, and she is passionate about including and celebrating each individual’s unique strengths! She has also been involved in fundraising for Special Olympics including six polar plunges! She is excited to represent Team Minnesota in the 2022 USA Games.
Park Gilmer
February 25th, 2022 – Gopher Men’s Hockey
Park Gilmer who has participated with Special Olympics for 8 years and is involved in bowling, softball, poly hockey, and swimming. Special Olympics has given Park a sense of accomplishment, belonging and the opportunity to meet new friends! Park will be representing Team Minnesota in swimming this summer at the USA Special Olympics games. He has been training hard and hopes to bring home a medal.
Burnsville BLAST Unified Softball Team
February 27th, 2022 – Gopher Men’s Basketball
The Burnsville BLAST Unified Softball Team will be representing Team Minnesota at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games this summer in Orlando. This is the second consecutive year that the Burnsville Blast Unified Team went undefeated during the Special Olympics Minnesota State Softball competition, taking home the gold and earning them the opportunity to represent Minnesota this summer.
2020-21 Gallery
Nathan Meer
January 15th, 2021 – Gopher Women’s Hockey
Nathan has been participating in Special Olympics for 11 years now. His favorite sports to play are swimming, bowling and bocce bowl, but he loves watching other sports like football, baseball and bowling. His favorite Special Olympics memory is getting selected to go to nationals in 2014 in New Jersey.
Mark Hodder
January 16th, 2021 – Gopher Men’s Basketball
Mark has been involved in Special Olympics since he was 12 years old. His favorite sports are bowling and basketball; the three point basketball is his speciality. Mark has also participate in athetics, equestrian and the Athlete Leadership programs. Now, while sheltering at home, Mark has enjoyed playing bocce ball and competing virtually. Mark loves sports and Special Olympics has given him the opportunity to develop his skills, win games and make friends.
Natalie Renalls
January 31st, 2021 – Women’s Basketball
Natalie has been participating in Special Olympics for 8 years now. Her favorite sports to play are bocce ball, swimming and bowling. In her free time, she likes to watch movies, play video games and spend time with friends and family. She also enjoys learning how to cut and style hair and has been teaching hairstyling to others.
Richard Martin
February 5th, 2021 – Gopher Men’s Hockey
Richard has been participating in Special Olympics for 14 years and has taken the polar plunge 9 times! His favorite sport to play is tennis and his favorite sport to watch is hockey. In his free time, he likes to work out and do jigsaw puzzles. Richard has also been a national karate student for 21 years and has earned a 2nd degree black belt.
Tyler Sarff
February 11th, 2021 – Men’s Basketball
Tyler’s favorite sports to play are unified bowling, soccer and basketball. In his free time, Tyler enjoys playing video games, watching sports and cooking. His favorite memory of Special Olympics is playing on the MN unified soccer team last year.
Nicole Noblet
February 13th, 2021 – Women’s Hockey
Nicole has been participating in a Special Olympics as an athlete for 5 years but started volunteering 10 years ago. Her favorite sports to play are swimming, bocce ball, bowling and snowshoeing. Her favorite activities to do in her free time are crochet, reading books and knitting.
Katherine Strege
February 24th, 2021 – Women’s Basketball
Katherine has always been athletic. She learned to water ski at her parents’ home when she was eight years old. At age 19 Katherine joined Special Olympics and in 2005 she attended the Special Olympics World Winter games in Japan where she won a gold medal in alpine skiing.
Dave Persons
March 5th, 2021 – Men's Hockey
Dave has been participating in Special Olympics for 16 years and has taken the polar plunge 159 times! He enjoys golf, powerlifting and bowling and when he's not participating in sports he enjoys volunteering with the area sports management teams and going for walks.
2019-20 Gallery
Peter Erickson
March 8, 2020 – Gopher Men’s Basketball
Peter is a member of the Hibbing Chisholm Rangers Special Olympics Team. He is involved in bowling and basketball, but his true passion is basketball. Peter’s favorite basketball player is his brother, Eli. Peter can usually be found courtside cheering Eli on, and occasionally letting the refs know if he disagrees with a call! Special Olympics has given Peter the opportunity to be a part of his very own team. Last summer, Peter took home a gold medal in the Special Olympics State basketball skills competition, proof that with determination and a little modification, nothing is impossible. Peter is an inspiration to all of us!
Matthew Harms
March 1, 2020 – Gopher Women’s Basketball
Matt has been involved in the St. Croix Valley Lumberjacks Special Olympics team since the team began in 2000. Each year, Matt participates in basketball, track, golf, and bowling. In 2003, Matt was chosen to represent Minnesota and the United State of America at the World Games in Dublin, Ireland. He was 1 of 4 Minnesota track athletes and returned with a silver medal in the 4x 100 relay and 2 bronze medals (100 M and 200M runs). When Matt is not at Special Olympics practices or competitions he enjoys riding his bike and watching other sporting events. Matt also always lends a hand to his neighbors, often helping with shoveling or yard work. For the previous 19 years, Matt has worked at Cub Foods in Stillwater.
John O’Keeffe
February 22, 2020 – Gopher Women’s Basketball
John has been an athlete for many years! He remains active in basketball transitioning from full court to half court and becoming a leader helping younger athletes learn the fundamentals. He also takes part in softball where he plays in a way that doesn’t indicate his age. Up until a couple years ago John had been taking part in unified flag football. His expertise in sports shines when it comes to bowling though. He is our go-to expert when trying to identify things to improve on in an athlete’s approach and follow thru.
Mal Schwartz
February 10, 2020 – Gopher Women’s Basketball
Mal has participated in Special Olympics as an athlete since she was eligible at age 8 years old. Over the years, Mal has enjoyed competing in swimming, basketball, hockey, track & field, softball and bowling. Her true passion is basketball! Mallory has also been involved in the Athlete Leadership Program, which has provided many opportunities for public speaking and representing Special Olympics.
Nathan Schofield
February 5, 2020 – Gopher Men’s Basketball
Nathan enjoys staying busy and involved throughout the community. Nathan starts his day off by heading to the farm where he loves helping out and learning new skills. For most, after a long day of work and being outside, getting home and relaxing is just what a person could ask for, but not Nathan. Nathan is regularly signing up for different activities whether it’s going to Christ For People with his peers, bowling practice, or attending a class. He is continuously trying new things. Nathan has been with Special Olympics for many years and is proud of every sport that he has competed in. After each tournament, Nathan likes to share with his peers and staff his accomplishments with his team.
Katie Meskimen
February 1, 2020 – Gopher Women’s Hockey
Katie has been involved in Special Olympics for over 20 years. She has competed in track and field, swimming, bowling, skiing, gymnastics, bocce ball, basketball, horseback riding and softball. Currently Katie has been on the disabled list recuperating from total hip replacement. She doesn’t stay down for long. Katie continues to encourage fellow athletes to do their best and follows the oath of Special Olympics with passion. In 2006, Katie went to Nationals Games in Ames, Iowa. Her sport was swimming and she won 2 gold medals. Meeting Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of Special Olympics, was the highlight and honor. In 2012, Katie was asked to be a global messenger for Special Olympics and has spoken to many schools around the twin cities on the importance of ending the “R” word. She was also asked to give a speech at the Special Olympics Distinguished Service Award Banquet.
Molly Maxson
January 31, 2020 – Gopher Women’s Hockey
Molly Maxon has been the first line center on the Rave Special Olympics Poly Hockey team since she started playing for the Rave ten years ago. Her abilities as a hockey player are second to none in our organization. She is an extremely hard working and talented player. She has been the leading goal scorer on our team for five straight years. She makes all of her line mates and other teammates better with her ability to encourage and respect both teammates and her opponents. One of Molly’s greatest attributes is her ability to keep going no matter how tired she is. She will always dig down deep within herself to give it 100% every time she steps out onto the court. Molly has a drive and determination to battle and never back down to any opponent even though some of her opponents outweigh her at times by over 100 lbs. Molly is a coach’s dream as she is equally talented, determined and always, always respectful.
Will Gutzwiller
January 12, 2020 – Gopher Men’s Basketball
Will has been involved with Special Olympics for the past 12 years. He’s participated in sports such as poly hockey, bowling, softball and basketball at various area, regional and state competitions. His positive attitude and appreciation of his teammates and coaches have been an inspiration to many, including his peers, and especially his family.
Nicholas Stacken
December 15, 2019 – Gopher Men’s Basketball
Nicholas has been an athlete with the Maplewood Monarchs for 12 years. He participates in Poly Hockey, Basketball, Softball, and Bowling each year. Nick is very social and very well accepted by his peers. He has demonstrated the ability to be a leader and his co-athletes look to him for advice. Nick excels in sports and has won a number of medals through the years for both individual and team wins. In addition to his disabilities, Nick was diagnosed with Lukemia last September and is currently undergoing chemo for it. This has not slowed him down at all. He continues to be a very active member of the Maplewood Monarchs and does not allow this new diagnosis to change him or his love of life and sports. In addition to Special Olympics Minnesota, Nick also participates in Paul’s Pals, walks to raise funds and Feed My Starving Children.
Jason Boggess
November 29, 2019 – Gopher Men’s Hockey
Jason has been involved in Special Olympics with the Western Wings for the last 10 years. Jason is a year-round athlete participating in weightlifting, bowling, basketball, swimming, track and field, golf and SOfit. Jason has a special sense of humor, loves to dance and his strength has made him a very competitive weight lifting athlete. Jason is also always open to trying new sports and events and with some encouragement started running the 4x100 Unified track relay with, Sarah his mom, a unified partner. The Western Wings are very pleased to nominate Jason for recognition at the Gopher Game tonight. Congratulations Jason - you have earned it!!
Henry Hultberg
November 23, 2019 – Gopher Men’s Hockey
Henry is an 8th grader at Menahga Public School. He is an active student who loves all sports! His love for athletics can be seen on Menahga Special Olympics team where he participates in bowling, basketball, flag football, and track and field. Henry is also involved in speech and cross Country, and a student manager for the junior high basketball teams.
Isabelle Ashley
November 17, 2019 – Gopher Women’s Basketball
Isabelle (15 years old) joined our Special Olympics Team, the West Metro Warriors, in 2012. Don’t let her smile and small stature fool you…she is a fierce competitor and a decorated, multi-sport athlete. Isabelle is a symbol of good sportsmanship, and along with a contagious sense of humor, brings 110% to every practice and competition. She embodies our Warrior Code: No Fear, No Nerves, No Hate…All Heart!
Mike McArdle
November 3, 2019 - Gopher Women’s Hockey
Mike (29 years old) is a very social guy! Mike is on the Power Lifting, Bowling, Softball and Track teams! When Mike is not participating in Special Olympics Minnesota events he works cleaning at a local nursing home. Whether Mike is on the field or at work, he always acts with a heart of gold!
Nathan Meer
October 25, 2019 – Gopher Men’s Hockey
Nathan Meer has been involved in Special Olympics for 11 years. Nathan has participated in swimming, bocce, track and field, bowling, flag football and poly hockey. On his own initiative he attended the Athlete Leadership Program and is now an Athlete Coach for Bowling and Poly Hockey. Nathan exemplifies the Special Olympics of Minnesota motto of 'Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt'. Nathan is always willing to try new things, going out for Track and Field for the first time this year and participating in individual events and being part of a relay team. Most importantly, Nathan is a good and reliable friend to many and always has a smile on his face!
Sara Kigin
October 19, 2019 - Gopher Women’s Hockey
Sara Kigin has been involved in Special Olympics since age 8. She has participated in several sports over the years, but lately she has been involved in swimming, poly hockey, softball and bowling. During the summer of 2018, Sara was part of the USA Special Olympics swim team from Minnesota. Sara took home the gold medal in the 100 freestyle; 4th in the 200 meter freestyle; 5th in the 400 freestyle; 2nd place in the 4x25 relay. Today, Sara works at WACOSA (WA-CO-SAH) and loves her job. Besides Special Olympics, Sara started playing ice hockey for the St Cloud Minnesota Wild Special Hockey League. Sara is also very active in our community and church.