Special Olympics Athlete of the Month: Steven Krouskopf received the award for his play in floor hockey. Krouskopf, who works at the Vons in Montecito, has played several sports in his 10 years in Special Olympics, and floor hockey is his favorite, said Round Table board member Aaron Brown. Krouskopf’s coach, Jaime Rutiaga, called the athlete “a class act out there. Floor hockey, as you know, can be a very aggressive sport,” he said. A left winger, Krouskopf scored a hat trick at … [Read more...]

Matthew McPeters was awarded as Special Olympics' Athlete of the Month. McPeters, who went to Santa Barbara High and works at UCSB, sparked a late-inning rally for his softball team with a hit to help them come back from a 4-2 deficit to win the game. McPeters - a Special Oympics athlete for five years - also competes in floor hockey and bowling. … [Read more...]

Paul Johnson is the Special Olympics Athlete of the Month. Johnson's favorite sports are basketball and bowling. His high score is 150 and his coach Amanda named him the captain of the team. The Wisconsin native was sporting a Bulls tie and thanked the crowd after receiving the award. … [Read more...]

Ted Rudolph was named the Special Olympics Athlete of the Month on Monday at Harry's. Rudolph bowls, plays softball and basketball, but his favorite sport is tennis. Sue McCue, coach of the local tennis team, the Acers, said Rudolph has played for many seasons. “He’s a very good tennis player and very knowledgable about the game. CathyAnn Simon (executive director of the Santa Barbara Tennis Patrons) said he’s truly an inspirational athlete.” … [Read more...]

Special Olympics Athlete of the Month: Swimmer Rachel MacKenzie won three gold medals and a bronze at a recent swim meet in Ventura. “She always has a smile on her face,” coach Leah Simpson said of MacKenzie. “She’s very positive. She has one of the most positive attitudes on the team.” Brontsema got a lift from MacKenzie’s smile. “Her smile is beautiful and infectious,” he said. “To come in to see that beautiful smile, helps me through the day a bit.”   … [Read more...]

SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETE OF THE MONTH: Lauren Lee Wingate's beaming smile lit up the room, and is one of the reasons why she's such a respected and well-liked Special Olympian. She participates in floor hockey, basketball, track and field, tennis and soccer, and she also works at the Ralph's downtown. In a recent floor hockey match in San Diego, she recorded six goals. "She was amazing on the left side and we really appreciate all of her hard work," said her coach, Jaime. … [Read more...]