Pacesetters basketball teams enjoys playing the sport

The Daily Union - 3/24/2023

Mar. 23—Hundreds of Special Olympics Athletics competed in basketball games over the weekend as a part of Special Olympics event in Manhattan over the weekend, including the Junction City Pacesetters, a local teams that has been competing in the event almost since it began.

The games were so much about winning as they were about learning to compete together as a team and give every athlete an opportunity to compete, regardless of their ability, size or age. Most teams had athletes from middle-schoolers and high-schoolers competing with adults.

Tina Smith, coach for the Pacesetters basketball team, said they prepared for the event by practicing on Saturdays and going over the fundamentals.

Of course, the members of the team said they like to win, but they also said they have just as much playing the sport when they don't/ Smith's daughter Alex, 19, who has been playing for six years, said she competes because it's a lot of fun.

"It's a good sport," Alex said.

For their first game on Friday, the Pacesetters played well against the New Hope Bulldogs, winning the game 20-14.

They scored half of their points in the first quarter, with most field goals scored by Daniel Westoloski, their tallest player, who scored by getting under the basket and having the other players pass him the ball, particularly from Sa'mya Brown, who was able to get to one of the corners unguarded a few times, and also from Colden Nickleson, the next-to-tallest player and William Easterling, the team's point guard.

Alex, whose strength was in scoring on lay-ups, also scored a basket or two in the first quarter. Jason Russell and Emily Farrant also scored field goals in the second quarter, to end the half with a score of 14-8. Westoloski scored the team's final six baskets — one in the third quarter and two in the final quarter.

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