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Sno Phantoms win gold at Winter Special Olympics

Local athletes come back with seven first-place results

The Columbian
Published: March 16, 2010, 12:00am

Athletes from the Sno Phantoms Alpine Ski and Boarding Team captured gold medals in seven events during the Special Olympics of Washington Winter Games, held March 5-7 in Wenatchee.

Angelina Schubothe won gold in the advanced giant slalom and the slalom races, along with a silver medal in the advanced downhill race.

The Sno Phantoms took about 20 athletes, most of them from Clark County, to the statewide event that capped the winter sports season for Special Olympics. Participants ranged in age from 17 to 48.

Special Olympics of Washington offers a variety of sports programs throughout the year for athletes with intellectual disabilities.

Among the highlights for the Sno Phantoms was the unified partner tandem of sisters Gigi and Shelby Gernhart. They won gold medals in all three intermediate level ski races.

In unified partner events a non-disabled athlete is paired with a Special Olympics athlete.

The unified partner tandem of Emil Westman and Ryan Fielding won gold twice for their division on the intermediate course, winning the giant slalom and slalom races, and finishing second in the downhill. Westman, 17, is an exchange student from Sweden who was the unified partner for Fielding, 25.

Other highlights for the Sno Phantoms included first-year team member Mike Trent, who is legally blind, winning a silver and a bronze in individual novice races. Larry Mathews won bronze medals in all three of his advanced individual races. Tasha Dever claimed silver medals in each of her intermediate level races.

The team and its volunteer coaches trained four to six times during January and February to prepare for the statewide Winter Games.

Other medal winners for the Sno Phantoms included intermediate unified teams Jonathan Schauer with Josh Dever, and Sydney Watson with Dustin Watson. Sydney Watson also won individual bronze in the intermediate downhill. Earning individual silver and bronze medals for the novice skill level were Nicole Banks, T.J. Fielding and Talon GeBorde.

In addition to the alpine events, winter sports included basketball.

Clark County basketball teams that earned medals were the Trailblazers (Masters 7, silver), Wildcats (Masters 2, silver), Bearcats (team skills Division C, silver), and the Rollincats (team skills Division A, gold).

The Special Olympics are currently organizing spring sports programs. To learn more, visit www.sowa.org, or contact Rick Cook, by e-mail at CCSOWA@live.com.

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