Ten students from Jacksonville High School competed April 24 in the Special Olympics hosted by ARC of Calhoun and Cleburne Counties at the youth sports complex at McClellan.The team was coached by Jeremy Harper and all 10 placed for their age group in every event in which they competed.
Adam Taylor came in first in the 50-meter run, 100-meter run and standing long jump.
AJ Koss received second place for the softball throw and first place ribbons for both the 50-meter run and the standing long jump.
Alyssa Jenkins placed second in the standing long jump and first in the softball throw.
Ryan Woods took first place in the softball throw, standing long jump and 50-meter run.
Cedricia Johnson received first place in the standing long jump, 50-meter run and 100-meter run.
Erica Florence placed first in the 50-meter run, second in the 100-meter run and third in the standing long jump.
Stephen Bevilacqua took third in the shot put, first in the 50-meter run and second in the standing long jump.
Felicia Marturello placed first in the 50-meter run, the softball throw and the standing long jump.
Kayla Carroll took first place in the softball throw.
Michelle Higgins received second place ribbons for the 50-meter run and the shot put.
Four members of the team, Adam Taylor, Felicia Marturello, Stephen Bevilacqua and Cedricia Johnson also ran in the four-man relay where they took second place, a true surprise for their sponsors, Ellen Bass and Kathy Richey, who had not known they would be able to compete as a co-ed relay team until they arrived at the event.
“There was no practice, no nothing, they just did it,” said Bass.
