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BLOOMINGTON - The idea was to just go out and have some fun, but the Warsaw unified track and field team did even more than that Saturday in Bloomington.
Taking part in the inaugural IHSAA Unified Track and Field State Championships at Indiana University, the Warsaw squad surprised even itself, beating out nine other teams for the title.
To qualify for state, the 10 teams first had to place in the top five at sectionals, which were held in Warsaw and Terre Haute. West Lafayette won the South Sectional at Terre Haute and West Lafayette was the North Sectional champ at the Tigers Athletic Complex.
Knowing his team didn't win its sectional, Warsaw head coach Sam Smith was more concerned with his kids have a good time over competing for a win.
"I wasn't sure what to expect," he said. "I knew we had done our best job of the year, but there were so many good schools here. When I was watching us in our events, we were placing second and third and so on. The points just accumulated. No words for how proud I am of these kids and what they did this year."
The unified track event is a collaborative effort between the IHSAA and Special Olympics Indiana, allowing special needs students to partner with general studies students on the track.
Five events are scored, including shot put, long jump, 100 dash, 400 dash and 4x100 relay, with four competitors (two general studies and two special needs) from each school competing in each event, which are split up into five different sections. The combined scores of those four competitors is then added up, determining the final point total from each event for a school.
A day after her graduation, Warsaw's Delaney Goble was one of the general studies students at the event, and was as surprised as anyone with the result.
"We were thinking maybe four or fifth place," Goble said. "When they said Warsaw (during the championship team announcement), we all went crazy."
And she was happiest for her special needs teammates.
"This will make their world," she said. "They were ecstatic as soon as they heard the news."
Goble and junior teammate Cam Hoskins are two of the 'partners' on the unified team, and are more than happy to help their classmates.
"It's just a lot of fun," Hoskins said. "To hang out with them everyday, just on a normal basis is fun. But running with them is even more fun. We just want to come out and have a good time. That's what it's all about. Winning is secondary to that."
According to Smith, Goble, Hoskins and the rest of the general studies students are learning a great lesson themselves.
"I think they've learned just as much as the (special needs) kids, because they're getting out there and seeing just how competitive these students can be," he said. "That will only make them better as individuals, because they're seeing these kids who are overcoming huge obstacles. They're learning they need to push themselves that much harder, because there really is no excuse."
By joining up with special needs students, the general studies students are also welcoming them into their world.
"The kids feel like they aren't being judged anymore and they're not in an environment where there's only special needs kids," Smith said. "They're now with students that are general education kids. That makes them feel more normal. That makes them feel that they are just as capable, which they really are. They're able to see it now."
According to Smith, the opportunity to compete with a school-affiliated team has also helped the special needs students in the classroom.
"You've seen a lot of attitude changes with the kids, as they've discovered their potential," Smith, a behavioral coach at WCHS, said. "They're learning that they're just as capable of being athletes as those other kids out there in the school. It's been a great thing.
Winning the first event of its kind is nice for Smith and the Tigers, but the head coach is looking forward to moving ahead and getting more and more participation.
"I think this is a wall breaker," he said. "This is a step in the right direction. Getting these kids the attention they've really earned."
IHSAA UNIFIED TRACK & FIELD STATE FINALS
Team Scores - 1. Warsaw 101, 2. Mt. Vernon 91, 3. (tie) Noblesville 89, Boonville 89, 5. Bremen 81, 6. East Noble 76, 7. West Lafayette 71, 8. Edgewood 71, 9. Plainfield 60, 10. Munster 56.
(Warsaw Results)
100: Not Reported.
400: Section 1 - 3. Cam Hoskins 57.55; Section 2 - 3. Gage Williams 1:05.79; Section 3 - 3. Megan Bixler 1:13.51; Section 4 - 3. Jonny Borkholder 1:25.05.
4x100 Relay: Section 1 - 2. Warsaw (Cam Hoskins, Cole Hoskins, Gage Williams, Robert Williams) 57.15.
Long Jump: Section 3 - 2. Allison Hill 10-0.25, 3. Ilse Acevedo 9-9; Section 4 - 1. Robert Williams 11-8.75; Section 5 - 2. Jace Williams 4-7.5.
Shot Put: Section 1 - 7. Alec Haines 38-3.5; Section 2 - 5. Ben Linky 32-10.5; Section 5 - 3. Alex Moody 12-4.75, 5. Omar Juarez 11-7.
