Unified Sports track meet at Marina High brings smiles
Harlee Thomas sat on a bench at Marina High on Thursday morning.
Thomas cheered for her Edison High teammates at the Huntington Beach Union High School District’s Unified Sports track meet. Some were special education and some were general education, but that didn’t seem to matter.
Thomas turned, asking Edison special education student Nalani Yang if she was having fun.
“Yes,” Yang responded warmly. “You’re my best friend.”
Thomas smiled back.
“You’re my best friend, too,” she responded.
Unity was the name of the game at the track meet, sponsored by Special Olympics Orange County. It featured sprints and races up to 400 meters, plus relay races, a long jump and softball toss. Students from host Marina, Ocean View, Edison, Fountain Valley and Westminster high schools all participated.
Jen Letterman, one of two Unified Sports liaisons for Marina along with Butch Fredlow, said there were about 250 Unified Sports athletes and their general education “partners” participating, as well as members from the Unified Cheer and Unified Band programs.
Though there are several rivalries between schools in the district, that was not the case on Thursday. Marina track coach Carlos Castellanos said he had some of his team members there volunteering to assist with events and timing races.
“I think this is why coaches get into sports, to help get a whole district, get a whole program together, get a whole community together to support other students,” Castellanos said. “Inclusion is something that’s being put forward, and track and field, I feel like this is a sport where we can drive that. So, this is an exciting event for us today.”
Jade Bumanglag, a Marina senior who is president of the school’s Unified Sports program, said she liked seeing everyone included and the pure smiles of participants and administrators alike.
“We wanted to make it super-fun,” Bumanglag said. “We put encouraging posters up for every school, balloons, we have games for all of the athletes and their partners to come play in the middle too. And we love the support from our school. We have Color Guard here, band, cheer, dance, sports med students.”
Each district school hosts a Unified Sports event during the school year. The final one will be when Westminster hosts a football day on May 25.
Isis Salazar said it was her first time participating in a Unified Sports event, but she’s glad she did. She was quick in the 100 meters, not a surprise to those who have seen her dominate in girls’ soccer at Ocean View.
“I was talking to my partner [Craig Earnest] and he said that it was so cool that they get to feel included,” Salazar said. “I was like, it definitely is … For those that don’t feel like they’re good enough, they’re able to compete. I think that’s so good, so they can show that, you know, they’re still here.”
Fountain Valley track senior Jack Todd said he enjoyed racing the 400, which is his main event. He ran it Wednesday in a dual meet against Newport Harbor, and he’ll also be running the 400 in the Distance Medley Relay on Saturday as Marina participates in the prestigious Arcadia Invitational meet.
Thursday’s meet may have been decidedly lower stakes, but no less fun.
“There was a lot of hype here,” Todd said. “Everyone was cheering each other on, no matter if you’re special ed or not. It felt like a really large community here. That’s what track is, but it was really strong today, which was pretty cool.”
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