Blattel prepares for special role at state meet

In earning the Special Olympics Missouri Athlete of the Year for 2004, Lucas Blattel excelled both as a competitor and off the field.

Blattel displayed this excellence at the Southeast Area Spring Games on Saturday at Cape Central Junior High School.

When he wasn't performing himself in his own events, Blattel was front and center cheering teammates during their events, even walking alongside the track as Cape runners competed in the 50-meter dash.

Blattel competed in four events -- the long jump, shot put, 100-meter dash and the 400 relay -- and came away with two first-place finishes. He was on the winning relay team and he won the long jump in addition to placing third in the shot put and fourth in the 100.

"Their qualifying scores here will be registered to advance to a state track meet," said Penny Williams, the meet director for the Southeast Area Special Olympics.

Blattel, who was named Athlete of the Year in January, will have the honor of lighting the cauldron at the state competition.

"It's really nice," Blattel said. "I get to meet people and just more people come up and talk to me now that they know who I am.

"I will get to meet some new people up there [in Columbia] and have friends come to watch me and have fun and light it."

"Lighting the cauldron at the state track meet is a big honor," Williams said. "He will get a lot of recognition and he will be very popular."

Although athletes can begin competing in the Special Olympics at the age of 8, Blattel did not join the games until three years ago after learning about the Special Olympics from a fellow student at Delta High School.

"I was at school and one of the teachers there had a student who belonged to it and they got me into it and if it wasn't for them I wouldn't be in it," Blattel said. "I wish I had started younger so I could have played all the way up to now. You can keep competing until you want to quit yourself."

Blattel has become an active member, becoming the Cape Girardeau group's Global Messenger. In this role, Blattel speaks to community groups in fundraising efforts for the group and the Special Olympics, further displaying the excellence that earned him statewide recognition.

"The person who was doing it for our group kind of quit, and they kind of put me into it," Blattel said of how he became a Global Messenger. "But I like doing the talking and doing things and meeting people and raising money for our group."