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Bradley Hope's shot put gold medal opened the floodgates on a big day for Team Kentucky. |
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When Bradley Hope of Henderson took the gold medal in the shot put -- the first event of the day for Team Kentucky, little did anybody know it was going to open the floodgates for a seemingly endless stream of gold, silver and bronze for Team Kentucky the rest of the day. By the close of the bowling awards ceremony -- the last activity of the day -- Team Kentucky had claimed a total of 26 medals.
While Hope grabbed the first medal of the day, nobody claimed as many medals as Frankfort gymnast Phillip Riley. Riley, the athlete representative to the Special Olympics Kentucky Board of Directors, dominated the gymnastics competition, posting the highest all-around score at the meet with a total of 52.311. His 9.75 on the vault was also the highest individual apparatus score of the meet. In all, Riley claimed six golds and a silver.
On the day, Team Kentucky grabbed 12 gold, 8 silver and six bronze medals in all.
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Basketball
Team Kentucky continued to roar through the tournament completing pool play with a 34-20 victory over Hawaii. Joseph Stapp led a balanced Kentucky attack with 10 points. The win gave Team Kentucky a perfect 3-0 record in pool play and the top seed in their bracket in the medal round. A win tomorrow over Oregon will put Kentucky in the gold medal game.
Bowling
Georgetown's Keith Cottrell added to the gold medal he won on Tuesday, this time teaming with Louisville's MItchell Walls for the men's doubles competition. The pair bowled a combined 945 series to win their division by 11 pins.
Julie Queen of Frankfort and Cindy Cusick of Louisville teamed up for the women's doubles competition and both improved on their singles finish from the night before. Queen and Cusick bowled a 654 combined series to take the bronze medal in their division.
Golf
Both Kentucky Unified golf teams managed to find their way to the medal stand today. Casie Siefert and partner Sarah Hawkins of Lexington shot a final round of 72 in the alternate shot competition to claim the silver medal in their flight.
Also in Unified golf, Jude Zillion of Alexandria and Unified partner Chris Frank of Bellevue tuned in a final round score of 62 to take the bronze medal in one of the tournament's most competitive flights. Zilliox and Frank finished just a shot ahead of the fourth place team and were only two shots away from the gold medal.
Chris Revay of Burlington saw his string of tough luck continue at major Special Olympics competition. He wasn't able to recover from a tough start and carded a 97 to finish just ne shot out of the medals, placing fourth.
Gymnastics
Lee Dockins of Russellville couldn't overcome a tough rotation on the uneven bars and closed the competition in second in the allaround. Dockins also won three other silver medals and a bronze at today's competiton. Dockins, as well, as Riley aren't quite done with gymnastics yet. Both have been chosen by the competition judges to preform at a gymnastics deomnstration that will take place on Thursday.
Brittany Snider of Calvert City had a pair of bobbles on the beam, but still cruised to the gold medal in her all-around divisions with a cored of 32.856. It was one of several awards on the day for Snider. In addition to the all-around title, Snider finished first on the uneven bars and the floor exercise. She also grabbed a silver medal vault and a bronze on the beam.
Softball
Team Kentucky closed out pool play with an 18-8 victory over Arkansas. Justin BUtler hit an inside-the-park three-run homer to lift Kentucky. Kentucky finishes pool play with a 2-1 record and will look to advance in the medal round tomorrow against Pennsylvania. Kentucky beat Pennsylvania earlier in pool play, but it was a tough game with Kentucky winning with a run in the bottom of ninth.
Swimming
Crestwood swimmer Kyle Gathof swam a tremendous final 10 meters, narrowly holding his spot as he approached the wall to win gold in the 50-yard freestyle.
Katelyn Hale, who had felt under the weather just the day before, battled hard on her way to a bronze medal in the 25-yard freestyle. Hale swam a time of 52.31.
Track and Field
Almost Immediately after Hope won his gold medal, Alexandria's Christy Farwell took silver in the same event. Hope produced a top throw of 6.31 meters. Farwell's best was a 6.y65-meters on her last throw of the day.
Hope came back in the afternoon to take the bronze medal in his heat of the 200-meter dash. Farwell placed sixth in her heat.
Basketball and Softball both begin medal -round play.
Jeremy Thompson and Crystal Maston compete in the running long jump and 100-meter dash finals
All Kentucky bowlers will take part in the team competition in Des Moines.
All four Kentucky swimmers will be in action tomorrow in medal heats. Hale, Gathof and Shelton will have individual heats. The entire team will get together for the 4x25-yard medley relay
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