This year marks the 30th year since the establishment of the Special Olympics Georgia agency, the Augusta Stars.
The team began 2025 with 80 athletes, unified partners, coaches and parents traveling to the Special Olympics Georgia Winter Games in Marietta, Georgia, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 to compete in the sport of bowling.
After close to three months of practice, the Augusta Stars brought home a total of 13 gold, 16 silver, 15 bronze and seven fourth place ribbons, according to a news release from the Augusta Stars.
For competition, bowlers play three games, and the cumulative score is used to determine medal placement. Divisions are broken up by age, sex and bowling averages so that individuals are paired up equally as possible.
Youth (age 8 – 21): Naomi Hicks, Christian Norton, Jack Machis and Noah Williams, gold; Justin Lawton, silver.
Masters (age 22 and up): traditional: The following individuals brought home the following medals: Antonio Rodriguez, Lauren Frick Danny Streetman, Doyle Campbell and Eric Welch, gold; Jamerion Stark, Bryson Fuller, Jeffrey Keating, Michael Holland, Samuel Mcallister, Justin Lawton, Wendy Barker, Izza Giboney, Natoya Hill, Joseph Cruz and Ashlyn Price, silver; Corey Hudson, Jacob Herndon, Braxton James, Joshua Ekechukwu, Cassie Frick, Robert White and Chris Powell, Stacey Yarbrough, Angela Simmons, Kamaryah Wright and Aalyiah Petry, bronze; Eric Barclay, Michael Bonnett and Shayla Williamson, fourth.
Unified Masters (each team must have two non-athlete Unified Partners – A Unified Partner is an athlete without an intellectual disability that is paired with a Special Olympian of similar age and level of skill.):
Unified teams and results (athletes listed first followed by Unified Partners): Team 1: Chris Supilski, Theresa Nixon, Michael Amrhein, and Jennifer Amrheim, – bronze; Team 2: Jon Lambert, Brandy Story, Billie Jean Pitts, and Marquese Knowles – fourth; Team 3: Kim Way, Raven Allen, Donny Way and Amanda Soares – silver; Team 4: Zachary Gilmore, Jessalyn Gillmore, Annette McCaslan and Kevin Enright – bronze; Team 5: Mikaela Smith, Erica Rothwell, Vernon Broome and Mike Smith – gold.
“The importance of Special Olympics and other organizations like it is the consistent praise that the parents of new athletes express with the increased socialization that their athlete is experiencing. Each athlete is different, but you can see Athletes coming out of their shells over time and it warms even the hardest of hearts. The Augusta Stars are an extended family as demonstrated in Saturday’s team dinner. We have the best athletes and volunteers of any group, and we are appreciative for their hard work and dedication,” the news release said.
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