SOMO News

Central Area – On Wednesday April 8, we were at Hannibal High School for their local track meet! Over 150 athletes from surrounding schools joined us for an amazing day! We were also honored to receive another check from the Riedel Foundation to support our athletes in the Hannibal Community. 

On Thursday April 9, we started our Peewee Plunge season at Wyman Elementary in Rolla! They raised over $2,300 to take the plunge for SOMO! We love this event every year and watching students take the plunge is always fun. 

On Friday April 10, we had our Waynesville Track meet. While the rain put a little damper on our day, everyone was in high spirits! The volunteers are the best and the LETR presentation and parade always make this event special. 

Kansas City Metro Area – The KC Metro had an action‑packed week filled with unified competition, training, and unforgettable moments. Here’s a look at what made April 6–12 so special across our programs:

🟡 April 7

Unified Bocce & Unified Soccer at UMKC
Athletes and Unified partners took to the courts and fields at UMKC for an exciting day of Unified Bocce and Soccer. The energy, teamwork, and sportsmanship on display highlighted exactly what Unified Sports is all about—bringing people together through inclusion and competition.

🟡 April 8

Train4Life – Week 12 in Grain Valley
Train4Life participants wrapped up Week 12 strong in Grain Valley, continuing to build confidence, endurance, and healthy habits. Watching athletes stay committed and push themselves week after week is always a reminder of the power of consistency and community support.

🟡 April 10

Unified Track & Field (MSHSAA) at Lee’s Summit High School
Last Thursday marked a historic milestone for Special Olympics Missouri and the KC Metro as we officially kicked off the inaugural season of Unified Track & Field through MSHSAA.

Lee’s Summit High School hosted Belton High School in an incredibly close meet, with Lee’s Summit pulling out the victory by just ONE point. Both teams will face off again at the regional meet next Friday, with the goal of advancing to State Competition on Thursday, April 23 at Park University, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

This season is especially meaningful as Unified Track & Field is the first Unified sport in Missouri to be introduced as an emerging sport through MSHSAA. Our long‑term goal is to see it fully sanctioned, opening the door for even more inclusive opportunities for student‑athletes to compete at the same level as their peers. High schools from across the state will be competing in the State, and we would love your support if you’re able to attend!

🟡 April 12

Track Meet at Park University
Rain and mud couldn’t slow down the KC Metro! 🌧️🥇 Saturday’s track meet at Park University was muddy, rainy, and amazing.

A huge thank you goes out to Park University, their ASA group, multiple Park University athletic teams, and the NAIA ASA group for showing up and showing out for our SOMO community. Their energy, dedication, and support helped make the day unforgettable.

We’re also incredibly grateful to the teams and spectators who came out ready to compete and cheer—your determination and enthusiasm made the day a success, no matter the weather.

Southwest Area– It’s time for the 2nd annual Unified Fishing Tournament.

We’re so excited to bring this event back again this year!

Whether you want to jump in and participate or lend a hand helping, we’d love to have you involved. Just reach out to Monte Ryan or Jesse Williams to get connected.

This is such a fun event that supports an amazing cause—so grab a friend, get outside, and come be part of it!

Attention parents and spectators wanting to attend State Summer Games in Kirksville– if you are looking for hotels, our HQ has set up discounted rates at the following hotels: Super 8, Hampton Inn, and Quality Inn. You will need to call them, and you will need to say that you are with Special Olympics Missouri to get the discounted rate. These first come, first serve, and I would imagine they will fill up quickly, so please do not wait if you know you’re going to be needing a hotel.

Athletes and coaches/chaperones in the required 4 to 1 ratio will have dorm rooms provided. Hotel rooms are for anyone else planning to attend and will be at your own expense.

Please reach out to Jesse Williams if you have any questions, jwilliams@somo.org is the best way to contact me. Thanks!

Southwest Area Powerlifting Tournament happened April 11^th at CrossFit Republic! We had roughly 30 athletes from Team Springfield and Team Howell County lifting some heavy weights and crushing some new PRs! I was on the mic all day, so I didn’t get any pictures, but I was sent a few from a colleague. If you’ve got more, please post them in the comments!

Shout out to Taryn O’Dell from Howell County for leading the Athlete Oath, and Jody Davis from Springfield for singing the anthem!

Great job to all our athletes and thank you to all our wonderful coaches and volunteers for yet another great SW Area Event!