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P--cia-PLAlNPEAUCK-HKHALl). WKI»KSDA1 .JAM AH \ 30. 1»S3 Sports Chris Jvswik Sports Editor You win some, you lose some escapqwiih win over Round Lake Nothing more special than these Olympics Getting a break this weekend from the much too-steady diet of basketball, wrestling and various and sundry other common everyday occurrences, I attended the Olympics. Not the Olympics with Carl Lewis and Mary Lou Retton, not those at all. These Olympics were totally on the other end of the spectrum from those Olympics. And seeing as how they have the same name, the two couldn't be more distantly related. Saturday at North Jr. High in Crystal Lake, the Northern Il­ linois Special Recreation Association (NISRA) hosted the Area 2. Run-Dribble-Shoot Competition, and I was most fortunate enough to have been able to spend two or so hours watching about $00 mentally handicapped athletes have fun. Sure, they all competed, and wanted to perform well, but for most, the key was to have fun. And that they did. THERE WAS ALWAYS a general idea permeating my mind regarding the concept, the handling and the carrying out of the various Special Olympics programs. I guess I never really thought much about them, but when I did, the visions were of the helping hands, time and patience donated by caring volunteers to help the games succeed. But, alas, there was a side I was ignoring, or rather being blind to, which is the reason there are Special Olympics in the first place. The athletes who compete. The athletes at Saturday's event were each assigned a guide, who would take them to the various stations and keep track of their points, earned by making baskets or dribbling effectively. Upon each assignment, the guides had an immediate friend for lite. Mentally handicapped people appear to be the most friendly and loving of any on earth. Another engrossing aspect of the event was the camaraderie. More than winning themselves, the athletes took more pleasure in watching their teammates do well, a facet of sports you don't always see. BILL KALIHER, A recreation specialist for NISRA, organized the competition, which included athletes from Kane, Lake, Ken­ dall, McHenry and DuPage counties. "It's neat to see that kind of unity," Kaliher said. "They have friends like everyone else, and they just want to have fun. Today, they really have had fun." Kaliher said he had no problems finding volunteers. Crystal Lake Central basketball coach Arnie Kay sent most of his players in attendance, while various club and sororities also pledged time and-or money. "They (the mentally handicapped) have so much love they want to give to other people," Kaliher said. "They just love to see peo­ ple caring about them. If you meet them once, they'll remember you. They remember people who take time to care about them." THE GOLD MEDAL winners In each division from Saturday's competition will advance to state at Illinois State University in Normal March 15-16, but as Kaliher said, it was participating that meant the most. "It's fun work, it really is," he said. "They're fun people to be around. It's really satisfying to watch them gain skills, be they social or athletic skills. Sometimes I get frustrated,** Kaliher ad­ mitted, "but a little thing will keep me going." For instance? "My crater on my basketball team, after 10 practices doesn't know he's supposed to be in the jump circle at the beginning of the game. He'U be guarding a guard, or just be where he's not suppos­ ed to be. But one time, he'll finally find it, and be in the right spot. That makes it worthwhile." That type of patience is hard to find, but all those mho aided Kaliher in making Saturday a success all have that virtue -- in ex­ cess. ATTENDING A Special Olympics in one capacity or aaother should be required for every person during their lifetime. To miss out on such an opportunity is to miss out on how ofteh we take sim­ ple things for granted. You can't help but walk away from a Special Olympics and feel a little special yourself. Never have so many smiles been engulfed by a gymnasium at one time. It wasn't just the athletes who were smiling. It was the volunteers. The NISRA and other assocation's staff members. The parents. And one enlightened sports columnist, who found out why they call these Olympics special. Johnsburg'8 Vicki DuBeau posts op < Bentz during the Skyhawks* 3S-35 whi ] ByChrisJuzwik JOHNSBURG -- So it wasn't the greatest performance ever. So the Johnsburg High girls' basketball team didn't set the Sk'yhawk gym on fire. So the game-winning basket came on a simple inbounds play that should have been defend­ ed against. So what? With junior starter Bev Hiller sidelined with a knee injury, the lethargic Lady Skyhawks still managed to post a 38-35 win over Round Lake, and JHS appears to be in fairly good shape as the se­ cond half of the Northwest Subur­ ban Conference campaign gets underway. The win improved Johnsburg to 4-2 in the NWSC, two games behind league-leading Lake Zurich, and one game back of Wauconda. The Skyhawks are 10-3 overall. Round Lake fell to 2-3 in the league. "We're better than we showed," admitted JHS coach Nancy Fahey. "We've played better. I wasn't real pleased with the game." JHS LED BY a moderately comfortable 25-21 margin after three quarters, but Round Lake, led by the penetrating of Kathy Godan and the inside play of 6-1 center Theresa Bentz, rallied to take the lend at 26-25 with 7:14 left in the game. The Panthers opened the gap to 26-27 on a Bentz basket with 5:12 left, and when Bentz rebounded her own miss and scored with 2:20 to play, Round Lake found itself on the right end of a 33-29 score Baft JHS fought valiantly back. Laura Oeffling rebounded a Vicki DuBeau miss in the middlfe of the laand banked in the short shot, getting fouled by Johnna Stege the process. Oeffling's free th was gMd, and suddenly JHS tra edhy)mt33-32, with 1:36 left. corralled a pass fi Bentz on the fast break and scored to put Round Lake ahead 35-32. Round Lake called time with 1:11 left, after which the Skyhawks scored the first of two key hoops, both of which came off the same play. OEFFLING, triggering from under the JHS basket, hit DuBeau for an easy layup, cutting the RLHS lead to 35-34. Oeffling came up with a steal on the ensuing possession, but DuBeau's subse­ quent shot banked too hard. Round Lake's Doreen Goodwin and Johnsburg's Sheri Scavo tied one another up with 43 seconds in the game. Scavo won the jump ball, and Fahey called time to set up the hoop which would put JHS in the lead. Unfortunately, it didn't happen according to plan. But, as they did in everything else they tried Friday night, the Skyhawks landed feet first. "It was my mistake," Fahey said, "I thought it was our ball on the side. But when we got the ball underneath, they knew what to do." And a baffled Round Lake didn't. SCAVO HIT a wide-open DuBeau underneath for an easy bucket and a 36-35 Johnsburg lead with 20 seconds to go. "Our kids knew what to do, it's not something I had to call," Fahey said. "It's a simple play, they just didn't set up to stop it." Goodwin missed a baseline jumper with nine seconds left, and in the scramble, Scavo andSteger each had a piece of the ball, caus­ ing a jump situation. Scavo tipped the ball to Cris May, who breezed in for the layup at the buzzer to provide the final margin. Johnsburg led 12-6 after the first period, and 16-12 at halftime. "We've won our share of close games this year," said Fahey. "A lot of teams will be after us in the second round." GIRLS--Page 17 Last-second shot misses, Johnsburg boys fall 47-46 By Barb m The Skyhawks had called time out to set up the potential game- winning shot with nine ticks left. Sophomore guard Frank Rusak got the ball and fired from the right of the free throw line. The shot missed, and JHS missed out on what would have been a minor upset, as the Skyhawks fell to 2-5 in the Northwest Suburban Con- its seventh game in its hot eight outings. ALTHOUGH THE victory through the Skyhawks' fingers, Johnsburg can lace in the fact that it rilh determination and in- which won the praise of extremely proud of the and the job they did," said "They played well and didst lose their composure one of the better con­ ference teams.'" During the first half, Johnsburg fen behind the visiting Panthers, but the Skyhawks managed to . • '.JJ-i SS I ; 1.-1 keep within striking distance. With jess thiap two minutes to play in tne first quarter, JHS trail­ ed 13-7. But working tneir offense to perfection, the hosts clawed their way to within two, 15-13, at the quarter. Round Lake center Greg Kreitner paved the way for his team, scoring five points via the offensive gla'&s. Johnsburg missed several op­ portunities in the second quarter. Tim Shine was denied a basket when he was called for traveling, and the Skyhawks muffed various scoring chances, yet trailed just BOYS--Page 17 the ban that's not said Johnsburg Beck, whose team Area Special Olympians compete in Crystal Lake AbMt MO Mtrurtt from loci mtnoH Sp»d«l Olympic t«*nu par- to shoot a and y the height of the basket, while another prepares to she throw. Volunteers fromacross the countydonated their time patience, and the participants accepted both willingly Plalndealer-Herald photos by Chris Juzwik i