Posted: 7/12/06
Local athletes excel at national event
 Three local athletes pose for a picture with medals around their necks at the North Branch softball fields July 10. Four local athletes competed at the first ever National Special Olympic Games July 1-8 in Ames, Iowa. Not pictured: Katie Meskimen. |
By Steve Morris
Four local athletes competed at the first ever National Special Olympic games in Ames Iowa July 1-8.
Walter Determan, Stephanie Hudak, Joe Schuh and Katie Meskimen competed in various events with more than 3,000 athletes from all 50 states.
The first part of the week was the prelims and the second half was dedicated to the finals.
ėNobody goes home without a ribbon or medal,î Walterís mother, Mary Determan said.
Walter Determan won silver medals in four powerlifting events. They include: the dead lift, squat, bench press and combination event.
Schuh earned silver in the 400m walk, bronze in the 800m walk and fifth in the shotput.
Meskimen won gold in the freestyle swim and backstroke.
Hudakís bowling team earned gold. For singles she took sixth place and in doubles, she earned a silver medal.
Determan, who had competed at the international events in past, said he had to use all his muscles when competing.
ėYou have to be a professional and not go overboard,î he said.
His strategy worked and he has the medals to prove it.
In review of the first ever event, Mary Determan said she was pleased with how it went. ėThey kept the athletes busy,î she said.
Steve Hudak, the father of Stephanie Hudak, said the volunteers and organizers treated the athletes well.
ėThey treated the kids like royalty,î he said.
At the event, more than 9,000 volunteers were on hand to make the inaugural event run smoothly.
Meskimen had been looking forward to the Nationals Special Olympics for months.
ėGetting there was icing on the cake,ė her mother Shelly Meskimen said. ėIt was a great experience for her.î
Meskimen was one of only four athletes out of 90 from Minnesota who were selected to compete in the swimming events at the national competition.
Meskimen was cheered on by the entire aquatic center as she won her medals. She finished the backstroke with a time of 1.11 seconds and the 50m freestyle with a time of 2:20 seconds. During the week, more than 15,000 family and friends attend the various events.
A highlight for Meskimen came when she was able to meet Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a leader of Special Olympics and brother President John F. Kennedy.
Shelly Meskimen was pleased to see kids with disabilities get recognition for their achievements. ėThey all did awesome,î she said.
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