Team Massachusetts is officially complete!

All of our athletes, Unified partners, and coaches for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games have been selected—and the excitement couldn’t be higher. From every corner of the state, Team Massachusetts is ready to come together and represent on the national stage in Minnesota next June.

Get to Know the Delegation

Holden Unified Soccer

Coached by Jon-Paul St. Germain and Steve Jaslowich, this team will be making their first-ever appearance at USA Games! They were surprised with the big news by New England Revolution’s Andrew Farrell and are ready to show the power of teamwork and inclusion on the national stage.

·      Jon-Paul St. Germain - Coach

·      Steve Jaslowich – Coach

·      Ben Walsh

·      Chad Plouffe

·      Will Peterson

·      Noah Goulet

·      Mars Burke

·      Kathryn Peloquin

·      Liam Wise

·      Remy St Germain (Unified Partner)

·      Sean Garofoli (Unified Partner)

·      Will Berger (Unified Partner)

·      Owen Murphy (Unified Partner)

·      Lilly Groccia (Unified Partner)

Bridgewater-Raynham Grizzlies Unified Flag Football

Also new to USA Games, the Grizzlies, led by coaches Kate and Jon Dyer, got their life-changing announcement from New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. They’re ready to take their talents and energy to the national field!

·      Kate Dyer - Coach

·      Jon Dyer - Coach

·      Jordan Dyer

·      Larry Haney

·      Nathaniel Ordway

·      Sean Vickery

·      Brooklin Elliott

·      Malcolm Monterio

·      Sariah Dyer (Unified Partner)

·      Adrian Dugre (Unified Partner)

·      Seth Moniz (Unified Partner)

·      Carlos Guzman (Unified Partner)

Cambridge Warriors Basketball

Coached by David Tynes and Tyrone Howe, the Warriors were thrilled to hear from Boston Celtics guard Derrick White that they’d be returning to USA Games. While the program has previous USA Games experience, only TWO current members have actually competed at the national level before. They’re ready to build on their legacy after taking home gold at the 2024 State Tournament!

·      David Tynes - Coach

·      Tyrone Howe – Coach

·      Jordan Harris

·      James Connors

·      Abebe Ticktin

·      Jason Heath

·      Rem Mendes

·      Chris Owens

·      Alexander Blue

·      Santiago Pineda

·      Luis Vega

·      Charles Quinn

MASS Networkers Volleyball

Coached by Art & Jean Merriam and proudly representing Northern Massachusetts, this powerhouse volleyball team has officially punched their ticket to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games! The team was surprised with the big announcement at the Yawkey Sports Training Center, and now their hard work, dedication, and teamwork will shine on the national stage.

·      Jean Merriam – Coach

·      Art Merriam - Coach

·      Donovan Antinarella

·      Brendan Cathcart

·      Wesley Lopes

·      Ryan Merriam

·      Imani Rather

·      Andy Merriam (Unified Partner)

·      Julia Merriam (Unified Partner)

·      Anthony Perez (Unified Partner)

·      Christian Savage (Unified Partner)

·      Saldy Smith Perez (Unified Partner)

Bowling  

Our bowling team is a perfect mix of experience and fresh excitement, led by Coach Paula LeBlanc. Joshua Brennan returns as a USA Games veteran from 2018, while Vicki Flowers brings incredible knowledge as both a USA Games and World Games athlete, making her a valuable mentor to her teammates. Katie Meuiner, who won one gold and two silver medals at the 2022 USA Games, is back and ready to chase more podium finishes. Rounding out the team is Mathew Flanagan, who will be competing at his first-ever national competition and is eager to make his mark (you don’t want to miss his reaction in the video below!

·      Paula Leblanc - Coach

·      Joshua Brennan

·      Matthew Flanagan

·      Vicki Flowers

·      Katherine Meunier

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Tennis

After winning gold at the 2025 Summer Games, Anna Robertson (from LIFE) and Marc Segerman (from the South Shore Mariners) have been selected to represent Massachusetts in Tennis at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games! Anna is no stranger to the national stage, having competed at the 2024 Special Olympics National Tennis Tournament in Hilton Head—and now both she and Marc are ready to shine in Minnesota.

·      Jim Lawson - Coach

·      Marc Segerman

·      Anna Robertson

Track & Field

Luke, Brett, Ryan, Danny, Shannon, Erin, Melanie, and Hunter just got the surprise of a lifetime on a team Zoom—their official selection to represent Massachusetts in Track & Field at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games! Their joy, tears, and pure excitement will melt your heart. Leading the way will be Coach Lexi Forgit, who previously coached swimming at the 2022 USA Games in Florida.

·      Lexi Forgit - Coach

·      Luke Anderson

·      Brett Jonson

·      Ryan McIntyre

·      Danny Williamson

·      Shannon Cowell

·      Erin Delahunty

·      Melanie Press

·      Hunter Schofield

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Swim

“It was my dream to represent Massachusetts.”

That dream just came true for Stefanie, Katie, John, and Reid. After capturing gold at the 2025 Summer Games, they’ve been selected to represent Massachusetts in Swimming at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota—where they’ll be coached by 2024 Special Olympics MA Hall of Famer and National Games vet Jay Barnes!

·      Jay Barnes - Coach

·      John Dunleavy

·      Reid Koropey

·      Stefanie Curtis

·      Kathryn Farmer

Powerlifting

After capturing gold at the 2025 Summer Games, Mike DeLuca and James Keith have officially been selected to represent Massachusetts in Powerlifting at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota!

Both are longtime competitors across multiple sports—and now, they’ll take the national stage together as teammates. Their reaction to the news was nothing short of emotional… safe to say, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

·      Jessica Burdick - Coach

·      Michael Deluca

·      James Keith

Bocce

Bocce GOLD medalists Ryan Dixon and Amanda Davidson—both representing Shrewsbury Parks & Rec—just found out they’re headed to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games! And the best part? They get to go together.

·      Eric Rubenstein - Coach

·      Ryan Dixon

·      Amanda Davidson

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Golf

Fore!  The final spots on Team Massachusetts were filled following the 2025 Golf State Tournament in Attleboro! Level 2 and Level 3 Unified golf pairs Kaitlyn Critchley & Fran and Chase Hertog & his Unified partner (and dad!) Steve are officially headed to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota!  Fun fact: Steve is originally from Minnesota and wore his University of Minnesota Twin Cities shirt for good luck during the announcement—and clearly,  it worked!

·      Kaitlyn Critchley - Coach

·      Fran Brilliant (Unified Partner)

·      Chase Hertog

·      Steve Hertog (Unified Partner)

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