Casie Seifert, 16, will participate in the Unified Team competition with her partner Sarah Hawkins of Lexington . Seifert, a student at Henry Clay High School , has competed in Special Olympics for five years and has golfed for two. She also competes in bowling, cheerleading, softball and track and field. Hawkins has been Seifert’s Unified partner for one year. She works in the University of Kentucky Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling. The pair qualified for the National Games by winning a gold medal in their division at the 2005 Special Olympics Kentucky State Golf Tournament in August at Lexington ’s Lakeside Golf Course. This will be the first trip for both Seifert and Hawkins to a major Special Olympics Games.

Jude Zilliox, 16, will also compete in the Unified Team alternate shot competition with his Unified partner Chris Frank. Zilliox, who lives in Alexandria and is a student at Campbell County High School , has participated in Special Olympics programs for seven years and has been involved in the golf program for two. In addition to golf, Zilliox competes in basketball, bowling, softball and track and field. Zilliox and Frank, a Building Service Representative for the Paul Hemmer Companies, have played together for two Special Olympics golf seasons. They took a silver medal in their division at the 2004 State Golf Tournament and then qualified for their spot on the National Games team with a gold-medal performance at the 2005 State Tournament.