EVANSTON — “It was awesome,” Byrlie Thomas told the Herald. 

“It was amazing. I really didn’t think I’d score two golds up there.”

That’s right, not just one gold medal in bowling, but two. 

A picture and caption of Thomas, marking his first achievement at the Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle appeared in an issue of the Herald last week. That was early on in the competition during the first week of July, but Thomas wasn’t finished. 

Later in the week, he teamed up with Tahia Grosch of Pinedale for a Team Wyoming gold medal finish in the doubles competition of bowling at Kenmore Lanes.

Bowling was one of the competitions which didn’t take place on the University of Washington campus, as the majority of the games, along with opening and closing ceremonies, did. 

Thomas’ medal-winning performances were viewed by family and fans of competing bowlers, but not by his Evanston and Team Wyoming teammates. Kenmore Lanes is located approximately 45 minutes from the UW campus and scheduling conflicts prevented his teammates and coaches from witnessing his accomplishment.

“That really kind of stunk that we were not able to watch Byrlie win gold,” coach Dave Deru explained.

The competitions were not in direct conflict with others in which Team Wyoming members competed, but adding in the 90-minute round trip would have interfered with start times for the events on campus.

Still, there were plenty of fans on hand to watch bowling and, as was the case for all the Special Olympic games, everyone, from fellow competitors to parents to fans, was cheering on everyone competing, not just those who were fortunate to win gold, silver or bronze.

The Herald asked unified team basketball players,  Tanner Spatig and Cayden Frye, how they learned of Thomas’ gold-medal winning performance.

“He came back and told us,” Frye replied.

“Yeah, Byrlie was talking a little trash when he returned,” Deru chimed in.

“’Look at these, look what I’ve got,’ he said to us,” Deru stated.

“Plus, he had a smile about 800 miles wide. I saw that smile and I knew right away something special had taken place,” the coach added.

Thomas rolled games of 88, 87 and 130 for his 305-point total to earn gold.

In the doubles competition, Thomas and Grosch combined for a score of 588, to take first-place, gold-medal honors on lane 27 at Kenmore Lanes.

Basketball

Team Wyoming found the going much tougher on the hardwood. Again, while all the athletes were competing with winning in mind, the experience was more about having fun, cheering one another on and forging new friendships.

The competition was stiff for basketball and Team Wyoming did not have the benefit of getting together to practice prior to their arrival in Seattle, as the majority of their competition did. Wyoming did not win one of their five games but improved as a team and were more competitive each time out.

In no particular order, Team Wyoming was doubled up by Southern California, 36-18. They also lost to Rhode Island, 33-24, and to Connecticut by a final tally of 45-39. The other two losses were to South Dakota and Arizona, 38-12, and 28-20, respectively.

The Wyoming hoops contingent was praised by Special Olympics officials and representatives of other teams they battled for their steady improvement, especially when it was discovered that the team was comprised of players from four different Equality State communities and the players had not even met prior to boarding the flight to Seattle together together.

Chandler Jones, a unified team member from Big Piney, who plays alongside the Special Olympic athletes, stated on her Facebook page:

“We went from strangers to best friends before the plane even landed in Seattle. It was an instant friendship that I know will last forever.”

Fry told the Herald that he was somewhat disappointed after the first game because he doesn’t like to lose. Fry said he regrouped for the second game and while his team still lost, he took the defeat in stride, “knowing I had put my heart into it and gave 110 percent, everything I had and more.” 

Spatig added, “I tackled someone,” which brought about laughter from Fry, Thomas and Deru.

The Herald then asked, “Did they call a foul?”

“Oh, yeah. They did,” Spatig replied.

Deru explained that Spatig didn’t really set out to tackle anyone. It was just one of those basketball entanglements that happened to end in more of a football-style play, but that Spatig really played well.

The players had previously stated that they hoped to meet new people and make friends, prior to their departure for the games and they did just that.

“We became fast friends with the team from Rhode Island, especially, “ Fry said.

“We went to their games and they came to ours,” he added.

“We cheered for them and they cheered for us,” Spatig said.

That became the biggest theme for the athletes during their competitions and those of others.

“We just all began to cheer for each other. It didn’t matter which sport it was or which teams were playing,” Thomas said.

Thomas asserted his favorite part of the experience was hanging out with his Evanston teammates and the other Team Wyoming athletes. Spatig said much the same of his time in Seattle.

Fry stated the opening ceremonies were his favorite part of the Special Olympics USA Games and would probably be the most memorable of all the experiences he enjoyed.

Wyoming benefited from their alphabetical standing. Ordinarily, the Cowboy State team would have been the last to enter Husky Stadium on the University of Washington campus for the opening ceremonies, but since the State of Washington was playing host to the games, they received the honor of being the final team to enter the stadium’s opening ceremonies.

Deru explained further, “When teams began to enter the stadium, the crowd was still piling in, so some of those states whose names begin with A, B or C didn’t receive the thunderous applause and the shouts of support that we did, being the second to the last team to be announced.

“When we entered right before Team Washington, there were 37,000 screaming fans. We received a tremendous reception and it gave all of us goosebumps,” the coach elaborated.

Deru may have encapsulated the experience for all, as he continued.

“The best part of the Special Olympics? It represents the best of what sports is truly about. Everyone was cheering for everyone else’s kid and all the kids were pulling for each other,” Deru said.

“There was no ‘me,’ it was all about us. It was sportsmanship, playing as hard as you can, giving it your best, but being okay with the outcome, win or lose. That doesn’t happen much at all in the sports arena anymore. It was inspiring.”

The Special Olympic USA Games will not roll around for another four years and will take place in Orlando in 2022. 

The future status of Wyoming Special Olympics is unknown and will determine whether the Evanston athletes and their teammates will have the opportunity to repeat this experience or whether it truly was “a once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity.

One thing is for certain. If the Evanston contingent of participants has the chance to take part again, they said they would seize the chance to do it again, in a heartbeat.