The Special Olympics State Volleyball tournament was held October 28th and 29th in Rockford, Illinois.  PTOEC was fortunate to be able to send two teams to the state competition, the Slammers and Team Fusion.  The Slammers received the Bronze Medal and Team Fusion brought home a Gold Medal and trophy.

I'm very glad to have been able to help Tara And Robert Edwards with volleyball this year. They and all the volleyball coaches work so well with our athletes and help them progress in many different areas. They’re wonderful coaches and I appreciate the time and hard work it takes to have two teams at state.  

Great job PTOEC coaches!

    - Karen Sarahan

Today we were at Oak Brook Golf Course in Edwardsville, IL, for Special Olympic golf qualifiers. We had 10 athletes competing. Our results were spectacular. All 10 athletes got a medal today. We received 5 Gold medals, 3 Silver medals, and 2 Bronze medals. The winners of the Gold medals will advance to State competition in September at Decatur,

Gold medals for Jordan Derosset in skills, Garrett Downs in 6 hole competition, Kelsey Elder in 6 hole competition, Stacey Morgan in 6 hole competition, and Spencer Triefenbach in skills.

Silver medals for Maddie Harnar in skills, Tyler McDaniel in skills, and Carl Prindable in skills.

Bronze medals for Andrew Birchem in skills, and Kate Nyenhuis in skills.

We are very proud of our team and coaches! Let's rake in more medals at State!!

Team PTOEC was out in force yesterday for a successful car wash fundraiser.  The weather was perfect and a good time was had by all.  A huge "Thank You" to all those who helped.  Especially Sheri Kraus for organizing and Effinger Garden Center for hosting.  Here are a few pictures of the event.  Fun stuff!

Today 11 of our golfers hit the course to compete in golf skills, 3 hole play, and 6 hole play.  We had fantastic results  --  6 Gold medals, 3 Silver medals, and 2 Bronze medals!!!!

And the winners were:

6 Hole play -- Gold medals -- Garrett Downs and Stacey Morgan
3 Hole play -- Gold medal  --  Tyler McDaniel
Skills -- Gold medals -- Kelsie Elder, Patty Haake, and Tiffany Webb
              Silver medals --  Jordan Derossett, Maddie Harnar, and Spencer Triefenbach
              Bronze medals --  Andrew Birchem and Kate Nyenhuis

We are proud of each of our golfers and so pleased with their efforts and results.  All of the Gold Medal winners will advance to Illinois State competition in September which will be held in Decatur.

We want to thank Dan Polites for his generosity.  He has given us the use of his facility, THE PRACTICE TEE, every week since the beginning of June.  He has furnished us with golf balls to hit, and believe me our 12 golfers hit a lot of balls!!  He has given us his teaching ability and support.  Please visit Dan's web site, dpgolf.com.  Dan, we can never repay you for all you have done.  Thank you, Dan!!

We want to thank all of our coaches (Bill Howard, Chuck Baldwin, Wayne Howard, and Steve Quinn) for all they have given to our group.  Without them, our athletes would never have improved as they have.  These men have given their time and support to PTOEC selflessly, and they are greatly appreciated.

We also want to thank all of our athletes for doing a great job -- you listened, you practiced, and you improved. 

                                                                                             GO TEAM PTOEC!

Back Row:  Dan Polites, Bill Howard, Andrew Birchem, Ryan Reinier, Jordan Derossett, Wayne Howard, Chuck Baldwin, Marcia Morgan

Front Row:  Kelsey Elder, Tiffany Webb, Kate Nyhenhius, Tyler McDaniel, Andrew Birchem, Maddie Harnar, Spencer Triefenbach, Patty Haake.

Missing from the photo:  Garrett Downs, Stacey Morgan, and Steve Quinn

By Jamie Forsythe and Ivy Truong

jforsythe1@bnd.com

Danielle Lanxon, of Belleville, was 8 years old when she started participating in Special Olympics. Now, a decade later, Danielle is one of 11 selected as athletes and alternates from Illinois to participate in the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games from March 14-25 in Austria.Colleen Costello, of Millstadt, was selected as an alternative. Both Danielle and Colleen compete through the Parent Teacher Organization for Exceptional Children.

Danielle Lanxon is one of 11 athletes selected as athletes and alternates from Illinois to participate in the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games being held in Austria. Derik Holtmann dholtmann@bnd.comDanielle will attend a Special Olympics USA training camp in Killington, Vermont, from Dec. 12-15, along with 149 other athletes who are expected to make the national team.

The Special Olympics World Games are every two years. Alternating between summer and winter games, this is the flagship event of the Special Olympics movement, which promotes equality, tolerance and acceptance through the power and joy of sport.

More than 3,000 athletes from 110 nations will compete in nine Olympic-type sports at the 2017 World Winter Games, including figure skating, speed skating, floor hockey, snowshoeing, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, floorball and stick shooting.

Danielle will be competing in snowshoeing, which requires athletes to wear snowshoes to race in the snow. “They are not heavy,” Danielle said of the snowshoes. “I run fast so I can get awards.”

She recalled tripping once because the shoes were too loose. Now, she makes sure they are strapped on tight. Danielle has been competing in snowshoeing for the last two years.

Even when you fall down, Danielle said, “You have to keep going.”

At the World Games, Danielle will run the 100-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter and one of the relay races.
I’ve watched her grow up. To go all the way to this level, it’s a unique opportunity.

Richard Crothers, Danielle Lanxon’s snowshoeing coach for Special Olympics
Her coach, Richard Crothers from PTOEC, introduced her to the activity. The pair has been working together since Danielle was 8 and first competed in Special Olympics.

“I’ve watched her grow up,” Crothers said. “To go all the way to this level, it’s a unique opportunity.”

Danielle credits Crothers, her “favorite coach,” for always pushing her. But, for Crothers, it’s been easy to coach and push Danielle, even though training for snowshoeing is much like practicing for high school track and field.

“She’s very cultivable. I never hear her complain,” Crothers said.

He cited one example from last year’s winter games when the weather got extremely severe, but Danielle remained upbeat. “She gets along with everybody, and they had to pass time with games and coming up with skits. They got so loud a few times that I had to come in there and tell them to quiet down,” he said.

Danielle said, “He (coach Rich) pushes me harder.”

Even before the opening ceremony, she’ll get another opportunity to make new friends amongst the thousands attending the World Games via the Host-Town Program, a Special Olympics tradition. She was chosen to arrive a few days before the games begin to explore Austria, meet other selected athletes and learn about the culture.

“I’m excited to meet my new friends,” Danielle said.

She also said she’s nervous about competing in front of such a large crowd, but she’s also excited about ESPN televising the World Games.

“I’m going to be on TV,” Danielle said.

Danielle won’t start extensively training for the World Games until later in the fall. However, she runs around her neighborhood in Belleville and lifts weights at the YMCA to stay conditioned.

Her father, Scott Lanxon, said Danielle and other snowshoers sometimes travel to Carlyle Lake to practice running in the sand. “Our kids down here, they have to improvise for that kind of training,” he said. “What’s amazing is everything they run on is tougher than snow so when they go up to the state games, they usually have great times because they have been training on sand and other things, so when they hit snow, they fly.”

Traveling to Austria will be something new for the whole family, says mom Alyce Lanxon.

“It is kind of a special place for us because her (Danielle’s) great grandparents are from Austria,” Alyce said.

When competing in snowshoeing, Danielle said she “feels much cold,” especially on her fingers and toes.
In preparation for the World Games, Danielle will be competing in the state winter games in Galena, Ill. She earned gold medals both of the last two years in snowshoeing at the state games.

Special Olympians have to earn a gold medal in an event at a state game to be eligible for the world games.

Multi-sport athlete Snowshoeing isn’t the only Special Olympic sport that Danielle participates in. There’s actually a long list, which includes soccer, basketball, volleyball, gymnastics and bowling.

When asked which her favorite was, she said, “all of them.”

She likes something about each sport. She said batting is her favorite part of softball.

Danielle is familiar with competing in large Special Olympic games, like competing in the summer state games in Bloomington last month. She competed in four gymnastics events: floor, balance beam, vault and bars. She especially likes the music.

During her floor routine, she said she does handstands, cartwheels and dancing. She won a gold medal for the routine.
Danielle practices at World Class Gymnastics in Belleville. She recently participated in a gymnastics camp in Elk Grove Village.

She receives a lot of family support. Her mother, father and brother Derek all coach. Derek coaches basketball; her dad coaches softball and her mom coaches volleyball.

“She followed her brother when he was doing all these things. She was really watching him and learning while she was watching him. Then, it became her time to participate in Special Olympics,” her mom Alyce said. “We enjoy it. It’s good to see the progress the kids make. They learn new skills each year. It’s been really remarkable watching what Special Olympics has done.”

When Danielle isn’t training, playing sports or attending summer school, she is swimming at water parks, watching movies or going to dances with her friends. She went to Camp Wartburg in Waterloo earlier this summer and a PTOEC summer camp.

Danielle enjoys the jobs she completes through Belleville District 201’s Bridges Connection Program, which teaches individuals with moderate to serve disabilities life skills to help them transition into adulthood. She cleans churches and does office work like shredding and filing papers.

She likes shopping as well. Her favorite store is Kohl’s.

“Danielle loves to shop,” says dad Scott.

Jamie Forsythe: 618-239-2562, @BND_JForsythe

Meet Danielle Lanxon

• Age: 18 years old
• School: Belleville East High School
• School activities: HOPE (Helping Other People Excel) Club
• Favorite teacher: Sarah Keim
• Favorite subject: Reading
• Family: Parents Alyce and Scott Lanxon and older brother Derek, 25
• Favorite TV shows: Anything on the Disney Channel
• Favorite food: Mexican
• Favorite restaurant: Mariachi’s
• Favorite singer: Ariana Grande

Read more here: http://www.bnd.com/news/local/education/article90335287.html#storylink=cpy

On March 12th a group of youth volunteers from the Baseball for L.I.F.E Whitesox helped with spring cleaning at PTOEC’s Arnold Field.  Team manager Craig Laske contacted PTOEC’s Scott Lanxon about volunteer opportunities and those two worked to pull this wonderful project together.

The kids helped to clean up litter, brush, and tree limbs.  Two trailer loads of yard waste and three trash cans of litter were collected from the property during a three-hour work session.  The volunteers were supervised by Scott Lanxon, Derek Lanxon and Craig Laske.

The Baseball for L.I.F.E. program is a nondenominational Christian sports ministry located in Waterloo, Illinois that fosters the development of baseball skills, character, social skills, emotional growth, and affirmation of gifts and spiritual strength.  The youth, not the athletic activity is the primary focus of Baseball for L.I.F.E.  Baseball for L.I.F.E.  is a private, independent program that is not affiliated with any public or private school.

If you would like further information about Baseball for L.I.F.E., please contact Craig Laske at claske1@charter.net.