We are proud to announce two OLS Students, Garrett Utz and Will Miller, will be representing the state of Washington with their soccer team the Issaquah Spirit in the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games. The games are set to take place in Seattle July 1-6, 2018.
Utz, who aspires to become a pilot, is proud of his team’s accomplishment and excited to participate in the games. He joined the team in the spring of 2017 after being encouraged to join by a former OLS Student Mike Walker. Utz, now in his third year of the OLS program, became friends with fellow teammate Will Miller and encouraged him to apply to OLS.
During the December 1st Seattle Sounders play-off match the Issaquah Spirit gathered on the field during half-time for the announcement they had been selected to represent Washington State in the upcoming games. “That was amazing,” says Utz. “Two reps from the Special Olympics Washington [chapter] made the announcement with a Facebook Live post and our coach talked about us and how excited we all are.”
Mike Quinn, Northwest Center VP of Business Development, has coached the Issaquah Spirit since 2015. “Will and Garrett were new to the Issaquah Spirit last year and immediately became strong contributors to the team. [They] are both fierce competitors who really like to win. Sports, employment, and specifically [the OLS] program grow the courage of these athletes and builds confidence for them to succeed in whatever they pursue,” says Quinn.
The team certainly worked hard for this amazing accomplishment. “We had a tough battle to advance through the regional tournament to qualify for the state championships, a two-day tournament, and at the end of the first day we were seated third. As a result of an outstanding effort by everyone, we knocked off the top teams to win the gold, and we were selected to represent Team Washington at the USA Games,” Quinn shared of their experience.
We are so excited for you, Garrett and Will, and we can’t wait to cheer you on next July. Congratulations to you and the entire team of Issaquah Spirit!
Last Updated January 4, 2018