The Kosciusko County Special Olympics skills competition athletes competed at Taylor University this past weekend in the Take It To The Hoop tournament. In the photo are, in front from left, Kayden Bailey (volunteer), Jada Carter (volunteer) and Michelle Ousley. In the back row are John Bonitati (coach), Joe Baranowski (coach), Robert Svinarich, Sharon Singleton, Mary Bicknell, Marti Sullivan, Kristi Carter (coach) and Sandy Bibler. (Photos provided)

UPLAND — Special Olympics Kosciusko County athletes competed in the “Take It To The Hoops” basketball tournament on Saturday, Feb. 6, sponsored by Special Olympics Grant County and hosted by Taylor University.

Kosciusko County’s Panthers and Jaguars basketball teams along with the skills participants competed against other area athletes in this regional winter tournament event.

In the team basketball double elimination tournament, the Kosciusko County Jaguars lost to the Huntington County Thunder, 38-28, in its first game and were then eliminated after losing to the Delaware County Hawks, 41-18.

The Kosciusko County Panthers lost to the Arc Raiders 2 team by a score of 53-22 in its first game and then lost to the Grant County Mayhem, 45-18, in its final game.

In the skills competition, the following local athletes placed as follows in their respective divisions: First Place Gold: Robert Svinarich, Marti Sullivan and Crystal Redman; Second Place Silver: Jamie Denhartog, Karen McLaughlin, Jim Nuell and Sandy Bibler; Third Place Bronze: Sharon Singleton, Michelle Ousley, Brian Bierly, Jose Median, Kathleen Shourek and Angela Millspaugh; Fourth Place: Mary Bicknell.

Of note, Nuell competed as he celebrated his 73rd birthday and is one of the oldest Special Olympics athletes in the area.

The Panthers and Jaguars basketball teams and skills athletes next compete at the Special Olympics Sectional Basketball tournament to be held Saturday, March 19, in Logansport.

Shown are the Kosciusko County Panthers and Jaguars basketball teams. In the front row are, from left to right, Jacob Green, Amy Philson, Kevin McPeak, Matt Bammel, Erica Mifflin, Antonio Drummond, Sandy Hunter and Wayne Momeyer. In the back row are Gabe Santana, Matt Baker, Chris Cole, Joe Bradley, Jamahl Jones (Panther coach), Tim Hunt, Julien Delacruz, Tony Thompson and Christina Messer. Not shown is Jaguar coach Dave Miller.