The PHS Special Olympics team and the PHS Spring Track and Field team at the Special Olympics Bocce Competition.

Photos by Mr. Grant

By Armando Martinez

Passaic High School has its very own Special Olympics team. The team competes at the regional and state level in various events. This is the third year that PHS has a Special Olympics team, and they are getting better every year!
On Sunday, April 2, the team competed at the Spring Games State Bowling Competition. Student athletes Lisette River earned a bronze medal and Moises Santiago-Ortiz earned a silver medal. Both athletes bowled extremely well and maintained excellent sportsmanship.

On Saturday, April 23, the Special Olympics Bocce team went to the North Area Competition. Passaic was represented by both traditional doubles teams and unified doubles teams.

This is the first year PHS has expanded the program to include unified teams. A unified doubles team consists of one traditional athlete and a unified partner. The unified partners are from the PHS Track team. All of the athletes did a great job bringing home one forth place, one bronze, five silver and two gold medals.

Ms. Cawthern, a PHS teacher that assists the Special Olympics team, said “The fact that we are doing this is phenomenal, these kids are, most of the time, self-contained and aren’t visible. This gives them a way to participate in school activities.”

Mr. Grant and students who participated in the Special Olympics Bocce Competition.

Ms. Ackerson-Baez said “I would like to recognize and thank Coach Grant for his help in identifying interested students from the track program and for stopping by to support all the athletes, and Mrs. Cathy Palumbo for her continual support of our students and for stopping by the event. I would also like to recognize and thank Ms. Carrillo, Ms. Cawthern, Ms. Ruchalski and Mr. Whitmire for their continued help and support at all the Special Olympic events.”

The team participated in the Track and Field Qualifiers on May 6. The girl’s varsity basketball team accompanied them to show their support and help with management.

The team will compete at the state competition at The College of New Jersey on June 9, 10, and 11. Before the team departs for the competition, they will participate in a torch run through Clifton and Passaic with the town police.