(Story courtesy of Austin College)
SHERMAN, Texas — On Saturday, April 28, several Austin College student-athletes had the chance to work with the Greater Dallas chapter of Special Olympics Texas, helping the group with their Spring Games Competition held at Cedar Hill High School.
The participation by Austin College student-athletes was coordinated by members of the Student Athlete Advisory Council and Katy Williams, a 2010 graduate of Austin College who works as a Program Associate for Special Olympics Texas.
The Spring Games Competition consists of track and field, soccer, and tennis and serves as a qualifier for area athletes to get to compete at the State Competition, to be held Memorial Day weekend at the University of Texas-Arlington. Approximately 1,500 Special Olympics athletes participated at the Spring Games, and the student-athletes from Austin College volunteered their time as timers at the finish line, working the field event softball throw where they kept score, measured and monitored the athletes at the station, and also kept score and worked as ball retrievers at the tennis event.
Among those who volunteered were Kangaroo student-athletes Lexi Beeson, Jordan Hancock, Erin Riley, Brooke Melton, Jenna Longo, Ariel Marder, De’Andre Holmes, Emily Brzuzy, Erika Higginbotham, Noah Jesko, Sarah Huffman, Nikki Kincaid, Christina Kime, Madison Parkhill, Shelby Eaves, Aley Zachery, Harry Hampden-Smith, Antoine Thompson and Shane Hodge.
The event capped off an active social month for Austin College, which began on April 6 with National Student-Athlete Day. Student-athletes were encouraged to wear game jerseys throughout that day. The following week was National Division III Week, and on April 11 the ‘Roo student-athletes hosted an ice cream social for faculty and staff members, with over 150 student-athletes turning out for the event.