Track and field athletes compete at Special Olympics event Saturday in Cape Girardeau

Hunter Ross of Jackson grew up watching his brothers compete in sports and was their “biggest cheerleader,” according to his mother, Sandy Ross.

“But this is his event,” she said. “When it comes to the Special Olympics, it’s his event, it’s his stuff. And he is just so proud to be, you know, be a part of it. And have people cheering for him.”

Hunter had a special honor this year at a Southeast Area Special Olympics track and field meet when he carried a Special Olympics flag alongside the torch, carried by Jennifer Rubin of the Cape Girardeau Police Department, in the opening ceremony Saturday at the Southeast Missouri State University Student Recreation Center in Cape Girardeau.

This year, he competed in a variety of events, including the softball throw and the 100-meter run, taking silver in both events, his mother said.

“Gosh, he just loves it. He eats it up,” Sandy said.

Derrick Devon "DT" Liddell of Cape Girardeau, left, and Tim Kunz of Jackson close in on the finish line of the 100-meter run during the Southeast Area Special Olympics track and field meet Saturday at the Southeast Missouri State University Student Recreation Center in Cape Girardeau.Jacob Wiegand

Support for Aiden Scheeter, 12, of Oran, Missouri, was in ample supply as his parents, brother, grandparents, an aunt and best friends came out to see him compete in such events as the 50-meter run, standing long jump and, his favorite event, the softball throw.

“He has a love of just doing things for fun,” Aiden’s mother, Lori Scheeter, said. “To him, it’s not a competitive thing, necessarily, it’s more about getting out and being with peers.”

Lori said Aiden is in his fourth year competing in the Special Olympics. In the past, he competed in basketball, but because of a vision impairment is now focusing more on track and field events.

Hunter and Aiden are two of close to 300 athletes who competed in Saturday’s meet, according Penny Williams, development director of the Southeast Area of Special Olympics Missouri.

Williams said typically about 200 athletes from the local meet will go on to compete in the state level Special Olympics track and field meet this summer in Springfield, Missouri.

The southeast area meet is made up of athletes from 14 counties from just south of St. Louis to the Bootheel, Williams said.

“The looks on their faces. They’re just so happy to be here,” she said. “Everybody deserves the opportunity to train and compete and to travel with their team.”

jwiegand@semissourian.com

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