Eatonville Cruisers Medal Big at Special Olympics State Spring Games
- Skip Smith
- 18 minutes ago
- 2 min read
The Eatonville Cruisers Special Olympics team capped off their 10th anniversary season with a strong showing at the 2025 Special Olympics Washington State Spring Games, held June 20–22 at the University of Puget Sound.
This year’s games were especially meaningful, marking the 50th anniversary of Special Olympics Washington and the first time the state event was hosted on the UPS campus in Tacoma. Ten Cruisers athletes competed in track and field events, collecting a total of 22 medals, including 11 gold, 6 silver, and 5 bronze, plus several top-five finishes.
The team joined hundreds of athletes from across the state for three days of competition, camaraderie, and celebration.
Medal Highlights:
Ayden Hildebrand dominated in all three of his events, winning gold in the 200m dash and mini javelin. He would also claim bronze in the 100m dash.
Sophia Roberts swept her events, taking home gold in the 50m dash, 100m walk, and softball throw.
Jason Pedersen earned gold in the 100m dash and silver in mini javelin.
Sarah Olmstead brought home gold in the 100m walk and mini javelin, and bronze in the 50m dash.
Jeremy Jamison won gold in the 200m walk and silver in the 100m dash.
Aaron Schmidt earned gold in the 200m walk and bronze in the 100m dash.
Leah Smiley earned silver in the 100m walk and softball throw, and bronze in the 50m dash.
Maya Frink earned gold in the 200m dash and silver in the 100m dash.
Trever Stacy brought home bronze in the 200m walk and silver in mini javelin.
Christian Stacy competed in three events, placing fifth in both the 100m dash and mini javelin, and sixth in the 200m dash.
The weekend kicked off with an unforgettable opening ceremony at the Tacoma Rainiers game on Friday night. The Rainiers beat the Albuquerque Isotopes 14–10 with a season-high four home runs. The evening ended with fireworks, which many Cruisers stayed to enjoy despite cold temperatures that sent much of the crowd home early.
On Saturday night, athletes attended the annual Victory Dance, themed “The Golden Ball: A Journey through Time,” hosted by DJ Shane.
The Eatonville Cruisers had 14 athletes compete in the spring track season, with 10 qualifying for state. The program also benefits from dedicated student volunteers. This season, Emory Simpson and Katelyn Lindquist from Eatonville High School contributed their time to support athletes during practices and at the games.
Four Eatonville athletes—Maya Frink, Jason Pedersen, Ayden Hildebrand, and Sarah Olmstead—are eligible for selection to represent Washington at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minneapolis. Final team selections will be announced July 2.
The Eatonville Cruisers Special Olympics program runs year-round with seasonal sports including bowling (fall), basketball (winter), and track and field (spring). It is open to athletes ages 8 and older and welcomes high school and adult volunteers.
To learn more or get involved, contact coaches Tina Schmidt at 253-677-2479 or Michelle Frink at 253-370-5372.
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