Members of the Warsaw Unified track team admire their state championship trophy Saturday in Bloomington.

BLOOMINGTON –  Inspiring.

Champions.

Warsaw’s first Unified Track and Field team can be called both after Saturday.

The truly inspiring group of athletes brought home the hardware from the inaugural IHSAA Unified Track and Field State Finals held at Indiana University.

The WCHS team, which partners special needs students with general studies students, outscored nine other teams from around the state to earn a state championship.

Omar Juarez competes in the shot put for the Tigers.

The Tigers were all cheers and smiles after hearing the final point total announced at the meet, held prior to the running of the IHSAA Boys Track State Finals. The team then posed for photo after photo with the gigantic state championship trophy that now will be proudly displayed in the trophy cases at WCHS.

The Unified State Finals came about this year after the IHSAA partnered with the “Champions Together” project with Special Olympics Indiana.

Jonny Borkholder runs in the 400 for Warsaw.

“This is a huge stepping stone for these kids,” said Warsaw head coach Sam Smyth during a break in the competition Saturday at the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex on IU’s campus. “It’s a wall breaker. These kids have never been given an opportunity like this.

“It’s just so important to these kids to show them that they are capable of coming out here and competing. It’s such an inspiring thing to have for Warsaw and the state.”

Smyth, who is a behavioral coach at WCHS, says he’s seen the difference being part of a team makes for these young people.

“I know this has changed a lot of kid’s outlook and their attitudes,” Smyth said. “I can tell that it really makes a difference in their lives. That makes it all worth it.”

The Warsaw state champions proudly show off their trophy.

Warsaw qualified for the State Finals after earning a third-place finish in the North Sectional hosted by WCHS on May 31.  WCHS got involved in the Unified event after athletic director Dave Anson passed on some information about it from the IHSAA  to Brenda Linky, who serves as the Secondary Special Education Coordinator for Warsaw Community Schools.

Warsaw, as part of its commitment to the Unified Track team, raised over $1,500 for Special Olympics with a 5K/1-mile walk and roll on May 24 at WCHS.

The 10 teams competed in the shot put, long jump, 100, 400 and 4 X 100 relay events.

Warsaw, who was also coached by Barb Martz and Rachel Hardy, ended up with 101 points. Each team had four persons in an event, two general studies students paired with a pair of special needs students.

The champion Tigers’ roster included Ilse Acevado, Megan Bixler, Jonny Borkholder, Delaney Goble, Alec Haines, Allison Hill, Cam Hoskins, Cole Hoskins, Omar Juarez, Ben Linky,  Jeremy McCartney, Alex Moody, Morgan Swafford, Gage Williams, Jace Williams and Robert Williams.

Mt. Vernon finished as state runner-up. Noblesville and Boonville tied for third place, followed by Bremen, East Noble, West Lafayette, Edgewood, Plainfield and Munster in the final team standings.

On this day, all of these amazing young men and women athletes were truly winners.

Warsaw, though, earned the right to be called STATE CHAMPIONS.

The Warsaw Unified Track team poses for a photo at IU Saturday. The Tigers then went out and won a state championship.