GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. – Hundreds of athletes of all ages converged at Monument Mountain Regional High School Wednesday for the 45th annual Berkshire County Special Olympics meet.

 

Runners, jumpers and throwers from throughout the county put themselves to the test and were recognized for their accomplishments.

 

As always, one of the highlights of the day was the banner parade, when Special Olympians from various teams make their way around the track to be honored by the fans in attendance.

 

This year, the newly-created Lee High School/Monument Mountain Unified Sports team had the honor of leading the athletes behind a contingent of local law enforcement officers.

 

Unified Sports, an initiative of Special Olympics and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, allows students with intellectual disabilities to compete in basketball in the winter and track in the summer alongside peers without disabilities while representing their schools.

 

Coaches varsity student-athletes from around South County participated in Wednesday’s event, helping to coordinate competition on two sides of the track and throughout the infield.

 

This year’s meet was dedicated to the memory of longtime Special Olympian Michele Adler, who competed for the Berkshire County-based Red Raiders team for more than 20 years and represented Massachusetts as a bowler at the 2010 USA Games.