Photos: Madonna’s Special Olympic teams get pregrame boost at Roncalli Catholic

Buoyed by a crowd of boisterous fans, three Madonna Ability Alliance teams got in some scrimmage basketball Friday, March 6, to help them prepare for a Special Olympics regional competition scheduled for the following day.

Three 10-minute scrimmages took place at Roncalli Catholic High School in Omaha, where the basketball players were cheered on by students, classmates, family members and others.

The teams were unified teams, meaning the five-person lineups consisted of three Madonna athletes and two competitors from Roncalli Catholic or Mount Michael Benedictine High School in Elkhorn. The Madonna athletes ranged in age from adults to high school students and included males and females.

The scrimmages have been a five-year tradition at Roncalli Catholic, said Sarah Struckman, director of activities and secondary education at Madonna.

It was a great day to showcase the partnerships Madonna has with Roncalli Catholic, where Madonna students attend classes, and with Mount Michael, Struckman said. The partnerships with both schools continue to grow, she said.

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