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Somers recognizes Special Olympics athletes, celebrates winter scholar-athlete teams and individual state qualifiers
Summary
Board honored Special Olympics participants and several winter teams for scholar-athlete honors; multiple students earned state-level qualifications and records, including Kira Cleary, Haley Donovan, Ryan Ball, McKenna Mullins and Charlie Sullivan.
Somers Central School District honored its Special Olympics athletes and recognized winter-season academic and athletic accomplishments at the March 25 Board of Education meeting.
The board invited Special Olympics athletes and coaches to the front of the meeting for recognition. Senior Esme Emmanuel told the board, “I love every minute of it,” saying she has participated in Special Olympics for four years and competes in basketball, soccer, handball and bowling. District staff and coaches noted the program fields athletes across three seasons and that many participants compete as multisport athletes in cross country and track.
The district also announced that for the second straight season every winter varsity team qualified for scholar-athlete honors, a designation the presenter said requires “a certain percentage of your team needs to have over a 90% average.” Teams named included boys and girls indoor track, wrestling, gymnastics, skiing, cheerleading, boys and girls basketball and boys bowling.
Individual winter accomplishments highlighted by district staff included: - Kira (Kiera) Cleary: qualified for the New York State championships in the 600 and set the school record with a time reported as 1:36.69; district staff said she will attend the University of Rhode Island next year to continue running. - Haley Donovan: a five-time state qualifier who placed third this year in the 300 and broke her school record with a time of 38.85; staff said she is headed to SMU. - Ryan Ball: advanced to the state wrestling finals and placed sixth in the New York State championships; staff listed multiple tournament results and counted 156 career wins. - McKenna Mullins: finished second in New York State all-around gymnastics and won the vault at the state level; staff said she was named recipient of a sportsmanship award by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association and is committed to William & Mary. - Charlie (Chuck) Sullivan: won the state championship in the weight throw and set multiple meet and sectional records; staff cited throws up to 73 feet, 9.25 inches and said he is a junior.
District staff thanked coaches and volunteers and presented certificates to the student honorees. The board’s public comments included repeated praise for the Special Olympics participants and the wide range of student achievements displayed at the meeting.
