On Saturday January 30, the Seguin Services Senior Division basketball team took home the gold, as part of the 2011 District B Senior Champions Division 4 Special Olympics competition at Thompson Junior High School in Oswego, IL. For the third consecutive year, the Seguin Penguins have won their district to qualify for the State Special Olympic Basketball tournament. To qualify for the State competition, the Penguins of Cicero defeated SEASPAR Gray Team of Franklin Park by a score of 54-16, then the West Suburban Special Recreation Association Blue Team of Downers Grove ¬¬by a score of 58-22. As a result, the high-flying Seguin Penguins qualified for the State Special Olympics Championship two day competition to be held on March 12 and 13 at Horton Fieldhouse at Illinois State University in Normal and Shirk Center at Illinois Wesley University in Bloomington. The upcoming tournament will field teams from all corners of the state with an estimated 1500 athletes competing.
The Seguin Penguin team is an excited and driven group of athletes who are seeking to bring home the Senior Division state title again this year. The Seguin team members include Michael Arscott, Alexander Brunet, Michael Butler, Travis Collins, Mary Cornejo, Gary Evans, Joe Farkaschek, Marvin Jones, Leif Pavlicek, and Leon Turner. Seguin’s Special Olympic athletes have thrived under the dedicated and able coaching of volunteer Coach Lovie Twine. In addition, Coach Twine is joined for the third year by her superior assistants, Assistant Coach Lawrence Baldwin, Jr. and Team Coordinator Debra Jargstorf. The team members have worked intensely this season as they continue to develop their hard-court skills. Coach Twine and Assistant Coach Baldwin have used their knowledge and enthusiasm for the game, as well as praise and encouragement, to guide and challenge these Special Olympic athletes. As Seguin President and CEO John Voit states, “These individuals exemplify what Seguin strives to achieve in all areas of life, to integrate their lives in the community, to compete with the best.”
Seguin Services is a charitable not-for-profit agency serving metropolitan Chicago which strives to integrate, enrich, and empower people with disabilities. Special Olympics Illinois offers training and competition in 19 sports for nearly 21,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities empowering them to realize their full potential in sports and in life. As a result, Seguin sees its mission and that of Special Olympics Illinois as a great marriage through their combined efforts.
