Blackhawks Unified team holds first track and field meet

CHENEY - The Blackhawks Unified Sports team held its first ever track and field competition under sun-drenched skies and temperatures in the 90s last Thursday, June 3. Cheney competed along with teams from Mead and Mt. Spokane.

"It was a big hit," Cheney Unified coordinator Brian Baxter said, noting it was the first time for track and field. The program has previously instituted a basketball league and earlier this spring a soccer league.

Cheney fielded 14 members on its not, not all of whom competed last Thursday. Those who did placed as follows:

Aunnica Byrd : 2nd place 200-meter walk, 2nd place softball throw, 2nd place javelin

Kiki Sypher: 1st place standing long jump, 3rd place 400m and 100m walk

Owen Roberts: 1st place 200m walk, 2nd standing long jump, 3rd softball throw

Ian Ross: 2nd place 100m dash, 2nd place softball throw, 3rd place 200m dash, 2nd place in 4x1 unified relay

Emilly Hammel: 1st place softball throw, 1st place javelin, 1st place 100m dash, 2nd place standing long jump, 2nd place 200m dash, 2nd place 4x1 unified relay

Adrienne Garza: 2nd place softball throw, 2nd place 200m walk, 2nd place 100m dash, 2nd place standing long jump

Megan Humphrey: 1st place 400m walk.

According to its national website, "Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team." Teams are composed of individuals of similar age and ability under the principal of "training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding."

Each athlete competing at Tom Oswald Field last Thursday had a partner helping them out as needed. The results for those partners are: Terrence Hill, 2nd place 4x1 unified relay and Stitch Culps, 2nd place 4x1 unified relay. Baxter said that partner Sydney Owen did not race.

Baxter said the Special Olympics program typically stages these types of sports, but since they have been somewhat shutdown by the Covid-19 pandemic, the decision was made to bring on Unified soccer and track and field. The plan is to run soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter and track and field in the spring.

Last Thursday's track and field events were limited, and Baxter said more can be offered once more schools elect to field Unified Sports teams. He said Lewis and Clark High School, University High School, Central Valley High School and Lakeside (Nine Mile) have already contacted them about starting up teams.

"It's a good program," he added.

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].