Brunswick athletes win gold in bocce

Staff Report

Ten Brunswick athletes won gold medals in the Special Olympics North Carolina Eastern Bocce Tournament Oct. 20 at Arnette Park in Fayetteville.
The Brunswick Butterflies, consisting of Joann Ballato, Jade Gary, Marchetta Small and Kelly Young, won a gold medal.
The Brunswick Hunks, consisting of Louis Edward Oswald and Chris Oxendine, won a gold medal.
The Brunswick Tigers, consisting of Charles Trevor Jefferson, Jonathan Rectenwald III, Selina Smith and Warren Williams, won a gold medal.
Fayetteville was host to more than 200 Special Olympics North Carolina athletes, 75 coaches and had 120 volunteers supporting the event, according to Keith L. Fishburne, president and CEO of SONC. This was the fourth year Fayetteville was host to the SONC Bocce Tournament.
To ensure fair competition, the athletes were placed in competition divisions based on age and ability level. Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded to the top three finishers in each division, followed by fourth- through eighth-place ribbons.
Special Olympics North Carolina offers year-round sports training and competition for more than 38,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities. SONC offers Olympic-type competition in 19 sports on local and state levels.