After winning the division in the first year of its history, the Armstrong unified track program is growing and thriving. Seniors Cicy Bowser and Hannah Sperl said that, since last year, the program has grown tremendously. 

They are joined by seniors Natalie Kamer, Sophia DiGregorio, Ethan Barnhart, and Sam Wilson. Cicy is Jennifer  “Jen” Watson’s partner, and Hannah is Braden “B” Steer’s partner. They said that there has been an increase in both athletes and partners this year and that the program will only continue to grow in the future. 

Cicy joined the team last year and helped Mrs. Lorigan establish the program. Hannah joined the unified team when she left the track and field team. 

Cicy’s favorite part about unified track is “seeing a lot of the kids succeed.” 

The most enjoyable part of unified track, according to Hannah, is helping the athletes succeed and watching them improve. From the perspective of a partner, unified track is more “easy-going” than most sports, but it is just as rewarding. 

“It’s not only good for the kids, it’s also good for you,” added Cicy. 

“When we had a home meet, the community that came was just awesome,” said Hannah. The 2024 unified track home meet occurred on April 10.

At practice, the team plays games like kickball and capture-the-ball. Each athlete and partner pair also forms a bond over the course of the season. Cicy explained that most of the partners have a unified class or an independent study, so they’re already familiar with many of the athletes.

Hannah described unified track as “one of [her] best experiences in high school.” She and Cicy encouraged anyone interested in joining the team to do so next year.