SRACLC victorious at Special Olympics sports festival
Submitted by the Special Recreation Association of Central Lake County
On Sep. 12 and 13, the Special Recreation Association of Central Lake County's Special Olympics softball and golf teams traveled to Decatur to compete in the State Competition for the annual Outdoor Sports Festival.
The SRACLC Crusaders-Silver earned their spot in this tournament after winning their division of the Special Olympics district tournament in July.
The team's first game of the tournament was against the M-NASR Wildcats. The Crusaders' ambition never faltered throughout the entire game. Pitcher Dominick Deslaurier of Libertyville excelled on the mound with 10 strikeouts, while second baseman Madeline Donohue of Island Lake brought in three RBIs.
The Crusaders-Silver finished the game without letting the Wildcats score. The final score was 7-0, advancing the Crusaders to the next round.
The next game was against the WDSRA Wildcats. The tension was high as the two teams fought to claim the title. First baseman Scott McNamee of Mundelein led the team with home runs. After the first inning, the Crusaders were down by 4 and their morale went down with it.
After each inning, the Crusaders and Wildcats were neck and neck, continuing on until the final inning. It was the last at-bat for the Crusaders, and the team was down 9-10. Mitchell Glazer of Vernon Hills tied up the game with a single RBI, and Sean Cosgrove of Lake Zurich hit a line drive, which resulted in another single and one more RBI, leading the Crusaders to victory.
The final score of the game was 11-10.
The SRACLC Crusaders golfers faired just as well as the softball team. SRACLC had three golfers qualify for the state tournament: Austin Josenhans of Libertyville was the first Crusader at the tees. He golfed in the three-hole tournament, shooting a 25. Austin's long game was good, but it was his putting that put him at the top. Austin took first place, winning his division by only one stroke.
Kyle Tuckey of Lake Zurich was SRACLC's second golfer to compete, playing in the six-hole tournament. After a slow start, Kyle started to feel his driver. Off the tees, he was shooting long and straight, keeping him yards ahead of the competition. Kyle also came out on top of his division with a score of 49, and was proud to wear the gold home.
The Crusaders' last golfer to tee up was Ellie Goldberg of Libertyville. Ellie was competing against only one other golfer, but it was a tough matchup. The two golfers' scores were back and forth through the six holes they played. Ellie was able to stay in the game with her consistent shots and long puts. After the scores were tallied, Ellie was thrilled to find out she had won the division by just one stroke.
SRACLC was proud to have so many athletes qualify for the tournament and bring home all gold medals. In addition to offering team and individual Special Olympics training, SRACLC also provides many other programs for individuals with disabilities. Special events and weekly programs are offered, covering an extensive range of activities and interests, starting at ages 3 and older.
For more information or to register for programs, contact the SRACLC office at (847)-816-4866, visit www.sraclc.org, or like SRACLC on Facebook.
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