Special Olympics Delaware is proud to announce that it will send a 66-member delegation to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, being held June 20-26, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Team Delaware is comprised of 42 athletes and Unified partners, 11 coaches, eight staff members and two students from Newark Charter School who will attend as part of the Unified Champion Schools Youth Leadership Experience. The delegation will compete in seven of the 16 Olympic-type sports offered: Unified Softball, UCS Basketball, Bocce, Bowling, Swimming, Tennis, and Track & Field.
Meet the members of Team Delaware who will take part in the USA Games.
Official Delegates
Head of Delegation: Ben LoPresto SODE Senior Director of Sports & Competition
Asst. Head of Delegation: Cheryl Talmo, SODE Director of Sports Training
Communications Coordinator: Ray Colletti, SODE Director of Graphic Design and Communications
Family Liaison: Samantha Gardner, SODE Director of Volunteers
Healthy Athletes/Fitness Coordinator: Lisa Miller, SODE Director of Young Athletes & Healthy Communities
Medical Coordinator: Sarah Robinson
Delegation Support: Lt. Andrew “Ski” Krzanowski, Delaware Department of Correction
Delegation Support: Lisa Smith, SODE Senior Director of Marketing and Development
Guest of Honor: David Halley, SODE President & CEO
Unified Softball: Head Coach Autumn Gentry (MOT), Assistant Coach Eric Ketterer (Sussex), Assistant Coach Antonio Haigler (Kent), Athletes: Nicholas Godwin (Newark), Jon Kroger (Kent), Frank Krumenacker (Wilmington), Ashley Ohmott (MOT), Joey Rigney (MOT), Austin Sligh (Wilmington), Jere’ Taylor-Andrews (Newark), Jonathan Touchet (Wilmington), Unified Partners: Joe Cichocki Jr. (Newark), Matt Dennis (Kent), Jeff Gary (Kent), Danta Haigler (Sussex), Owen Mathias (Newark), TJ Stewart (Sussex), Taylor Swain (Sussex)
UCS Basketball: SODE Liaison: Nikki Mowbray SODE Senior Director of Unified Champion Schools, Indian River High School: Head Coach Jamaal Bivens, Assistant Coach, Loriann Sentman, Team Support Michael Williams, Athletes: Brayden Bennetch, Kyle Bennetch, Ke’Niya Mitchell, Colin Sheridan, Katelyn Taylor, Unified Partners: Maggie Bare, Cole Lingo, Luke Williams, Jackson Woodock
Bocce: Head Coach Pam Cannon (Sussex), Ikea Glover (Wilmington), Maura Ganc (Sussex), Charles Fox (Kent), Edward Joyner (MOT)
Bowling: Head Coach Ryan Bradford (Kent), Tessa Aeschleman (Wilmington), Donna Walton (Sussex), Jordan Little (Kent), Brandon Thompson (Newark)
Swimming: Head Coach Stacey Battles (Newark), Christina Lake (Newark), Brenna Vendrick (MOT), Patrick Callow (Sussex), Christopher Sapara (MOT)
Tennis: Head Coach Jill Wallace (Newark), Sherees’e Smith (Newark), Malik Bradford (Wilmington)
Track & Field: Head Coach Kylie Lavelle (Wilmington), DeShawn Hamilton (MOT), DeLonte Hamilton (MOT), Christian Partlow (Sussex), Coltin Sligh (Wilmington)
Youth Leadership Experience: Newark Charter School: Mentor Tommy Nemeth, Athlete Emily Nguyen, Unified Partner Madison Myers
The 2026 Special Olympics USA Games will be held June 20–26 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, marking one of the largest humanitarian events in the country. Hosted at the University of Minnesota and the National Sports Center in Blaine, the Games will welcome over 3,000 athletes and 1,500 coaches from all 50 states to compete in 16 Olympic-style team and individual sports — including new additions Pickleball and Cornhole. More than 10,000 volunteers will fill 20,000 shifts, helping bring the event to life for over 75,000 fans. Throughout the week, at least 24 special events will take place, including Opening and Closing Ceremonies and interactive Fan Zones. With a projected economic impact of $75–100 million for the host state, the USA Games will also feature initiatives like Healthy Athletes and the debut of the Unified Work Summit — supporting both athlete wellness and inclusive employment opportunities.
Athletes were selected for Team Delaware based on their performances at the most recent state-level competitions. Athletes winning gold medals in the sport for which they applied were then randomly selected except for UCS basketball and Unified softball, which held a tryout. Coaches were selected through an application process.
“We’re thrilled to see our athletes take the national stage at the 2026 USA Games,” said Ben LoPresto, Senior Director of Sports & Competition. “They’ve trained with determination, focus, and heart—and have earned the right to represent Delaware among the best athletes in the country. Competing at the USA Games is more than just a sporting achievement—it’s a moment that will create lifelong memories, friendships, and personal growth. We know they’ll rise to the occasion and proudly carry the spirit of Special Olympics Delaware with them every step of the way. Our entire community is behind them, and we can’t wait to cheer them on in Minnesota.”
The 2026 Special Olympics USA Games–scheduled for June 20-26, 2026, across Minnesota’s Twin Cities with sports competitions at the University of Minnesota and the National Sports Center in Blaine–is a national celebration of inclusivity, changing perceptions and the ability of the human spirit rising above limitations. The USA Games, with co-presenting partners Jersey Mike’s Subs and United Healthcare, will be one of the biggest U.S. sporting events of the year, drawing tens of thousands of fans to celebrate the ability of over 3,000 incredible athletes from all 50 states as they compete in 16 Olympic-type team and individual sports. As a state with a long history of championing inclusion, the USA Games now bring an unrivaled opportunity to Minnesota to spark new energy around the Special Olympics movement and create a lasting legacy of positive change.
The mission of Special Olympics Delaware is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for thousands of children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
