A new and exciting event known as the Unified Track and Field meet is coming to East Noble High School on May 22! Arranged by the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) and Special Olympics Indiana (SOIN), the event will be one of many taking place at various high schools in Indiana. The meet will feature different events in which students with and without disabilities will work together in teams to go for the gold.
Athletes from Bremen High School and Warsaw Community High School will also be participating in the day’s activities, which include the 100 meter dash, 400 meter dash, 4×100 meter relay, long jump, and shot put. The students have been practicing outside of school to prepare for the competition, and it sounds like things are going great.
“My favorite part of the event is seeing the kids enjoy themselves,” says East Noble English teacher Mr. Clint Stickel, one of the men who made it all happen. “There is an energy at practices and events that I have never experienced before. I also love to see the smiles after the events as we go over the places they’ve earned. We chose to be in this event because East Noble is a passionate school about all of our students. We love to give all students a chance to compete and succeed.”
Many students have seized this chance, recognizing it as a cool opportunity to have fun while exercising side-by-side with one another in a friendly environment. Among these students is Kyle Bolen, who will be competing in all four areas of the track meet. “My favorite part about Unified Track is seeing the special needs kids run and have fun,” he says. “It’s nice to see people actually showing interest in what we are doing for these kids. I look forward to seeing how many people are going to come out and watch us run.”
Everyone is encouraged to come watch the track meet and cheer on Kyle and our other fellow students, who are excited to showcase their talents and abilities. Admission is free, and tasty concessions will be available. You’ll also get the chance to witness a huge moment in East Noble history!
“This will definitely be a yearly occurrence at East Noble,” says Mr. Stickel. “We love what this has turned into and will love to watch it grow.”