Owensboro Team Wins Bronze at Special Olympics USA Games

They did it!! An Owensboro-based flag football team just made a podium finish at the USA Games!!

The Special Olympics USA Games are taking place this week in Minnesota and a flag football team from Kentucky just stormed their way to a bronze medal. The team, coached by Dustin Lindsey and Lance Newman, rebounded from a semifinal loss to Indiana to square off against a spirited team from Pennsylvania in the Bronze Medal Game. Going into the game, the Kentucky team knew they would have to shake off some heartbreak from earlier in the week.

After opening pool play with an impressive 39-6 win over Virginia, the Kentucky team went down to the wire against Pennsylvania, before falling 46-45. That same team would stand across the field from Team Kentucky in the battle for the bronze medal.

Well, Kentucky rallied. They were on fire today and won the game 39 to 24.

Local Special Olympics Kentucky Coordinator Kim Johnson says, "The most impressive thing is the heart of the whole team. They give everything they have on the field."

All that heart, grit, and determination paid off today! Team Kentucky will be coming home with this medal!

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The team consists of Walt Drake, Hunter Gamble, Caden Glenn, Hunter Glenn, Jennifer Hamilton, Ian Powers, Kevin Rates, Isaiah Smith, Katie Williams, and Zach Lindsey.

It was Zach that helped form the team a couple of years ago. His brother Dustin, mentioned earlier, helps coach the team.

I had a hunch that Zach was going to be incredibly emotional after the big win. He was! Kim says, "Zach was crying so hard you would have thought we lost."

The team is set to arrive back home in Owensboro late Saturday night. There's no doubt that, in the following days, they're going to be hailed as the champions they are. Congratulations to our 2026 Special Olympics USA Games Bronze Medalists.