Track Wins Gold, Basketball Silver as 2026 Games Close
On a somewhat subdued final day of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, Team Kentucky’ track and field delegation made a loud statement with a huge win the 4×100-meter relay. Miguel Mendoza of Shelbyville ran a solid opening leg, but it was Kaylen Toews of Murray in the second slot that really got Team Kentucky pointed toward the victory. She ran an excellent leg, giving Kentucky the lead as she passed the baton to Louisville’s Sydney Graf. Graf did a great job of holding ground and giving Kentucky anchor runner Damion Frost a chance to win in the final leg. And win he did. Frost made up a small deficit early in the stretch and extended his lead right to the finish line as Kentucky finished in an impressive 1:07.12, almost a full second ahead of silver medalist Rhode Island. Their final time was two and a half seconds faster than they ran in the preliminary. You can watch the race here on ESPN+.
The win gave Mendoza, Frost and Graf their second medals of the Games. Mendoza won bronze in his division of the 100 meters, Graf won silver in her 100 meters division and Frost claimed a bronze in his division of the 800 meters, all on Thursday.
Our University of Louisville-based Unified Basketball team had two looks at a three-pointer to tie as time ran out in their gold-medal game against Texas, but couldn’t get either to drop and fell 20-17. It was a great effort for Team Kentucky, which lost to Texas 40-27 in the opening game of pool play earlier this week. Jeremy Mercer led all scorers with 12 points, Eli Just had 5. Cory Pitsenberger, who is the only returning player from the 2022 USA Games team finished fourth, chipped in four points and four rebounds.
Team Kentucky’s bocce players were literally among the last athletes competing at these USA Games. Brett Thompson and his dad and Unified partner Jeff from Rockport teamed with Megan Dineen ad her mom and partner Lesley Dineen to grab a bronze medal in the Unified team bocce event late Friday afternoon. Kentucky went 1-2 in pool play to end up in the bronze medal match, but they made the most of the opportunity beating Arizona 9-3.
The Thompsons were once again a part of SOKY history at these Games. The pair, which made Special Olympics Kentucky history in 2018 as the first Unified bocce pair ever to represent the state at a USA Games competition, did it again when they won the first USA Games Unified doubles gold medal in Special Olympics Kentucky history on Tuesday. This was also the first USA Games in Special Olympics Kentucky history where our bocce delegation won a medal in every event in which they were competing. Brett and Jeff won the gold in the doubles event; Brett added a gold in singles and then won today’s bronze. The Dineens won silver in the doubles event, Megan scored a bronze medal in singles and then today’s bronze.
The pool gave up one more medal to Team Kentucky swimmers before the Games ended. Brinkman grabbed bronze in a personal-best time of 1:13.91. It was Brinkman’s third medal of the meet, gold in the 100-yard medley relay and silver in the 100-yard backstroke.
Carson Cheney of Taylorsville and Burlington’s Carmen Widener both made runs at an additional medal today, Cheney in the 100-yard freestyle and Widener in the 100-yard IM. Both fell just a hair short. Widener’s time of 1:37.19 was good for fourth in her division. Chaney swam a 1:11.81, good for fifth in a very fast heat. Chaney leaves these Games with two medals, a gold in the 4×100-yard medley relay and silver in the 100-yard backstroke.
It was another very successful meet for Team Kentucky swimmers. In addition to Brinkman, Crestwood’s Justin Hale swept the gold medals in the 50-yard butterfly, the 200-yard individual medley and the 4×50-yard medley relay. Widener leaves Minneapolis with two medals, the 4×50 gold and silver in yesterday’s 100-yard breaststroke. Cheney also leaves with two medals, the relay and the 100-yard freestyle.
They didn’t compete today, but Team Kentucky’s bowlers and golfers were still in action today. Both sports – which compete in Blaine, Minn., away from the University of Minnesota campus received their awards for competitions that were already completed.
Bowlers Dillon Meador from Rockfield and Shane Stull of Richmond were presented a gold medal for their doubles win on Wednesday. Lexingtonian Janna Ghibaudy and Katy King from Louisville received their silver medal for Wednesday’s doubles results. All four Kentucky bowlers returned to the podium to receiver their bronze medal for the team event that ended on Thursday.
Unlike the bowlers, the golfers weren’t sure what medal they’d receive when they got to awards this morning. Format and scoring questions left it unclear how divisions would break down. In the end, the Unified pair of Troy Pickens and James Cheely from Glasgow captured the gold medal with a four-round score of 238 in the Unified 9-hole Alternate Shot Competition.
Ft. Mitchell’s Chris Revay fired a three-day total of 151, which was good for a silver medal in his flight. It’s the first USA Games medal for Revay who also competed in the first USA Games in 2006, finishing fourth in the 18-hole Individual Stroke Play
Lexington’s Wake Mullins shot a 261 for three rounds to finish second in his flight of the 18-hole Individual Stroke Play event. It’s the third USA Games medal for Mullins who won bronze in 2018 and silver in 2022 in Unified golf events playing with stepfather Dennis Gaines, who caddied for him this week.
Following the end of competition and awards Team Kentucky participated in the Closing Ceremony and athlete dance before returning to their dorm to get ready to head home.
The team will travel back to Louisville on Saturday. Team Kentucky will fly into Louisville’s Muhammad Alit International Airport. Expected arrival time is 8 pm on Southwest Airlines from Chicago. People are encouraged to meet Team Kentucky at the airport and welcome the team home.
For more information about Team Kentucky or our participation in the Special Olympics USA Games, contact Mark Buerger at mbuerger@soky.org or 502-695-822.