Airline Students Score High In Annual GUMBO Olympics [PHOTOS]

Four Airline High School students recently competed in the GUMBO Olympics, and each one qualified for the State-level round to be held later this year in Alexandria.

The GUMBO Olympics (Games Using Mind and Body) is a track and field event for school age students with physical or visual impairment and it is held every year in cooperation with The Elk's Club of Louisiana.

According to the Elk's Club website:

The events are not unlike those of able-bodied athletes. What makes GUMBO different is the fact that most of the athletes compete using leg braces or wheelchairs, or have some form of mobility or visual impairment. These individuals are not mentally disabled. Their eligibility for the competition comes from having conditions such as: spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, amputations, posture deviations, visual impairments or blindness.

On April 8th, Airline Vikings Melanie Bailiff, Montrell Delaney, Jordan Maurer, and Tyler McComic took Lee Hedges Stadium by storm, each placing 1st in their respective events. Melanie Baliff and Tyler McComic will also be participating in Virginia this summer in trials to make the National Paralympic Team.

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

Melanie Bailiff
1st Place – shot put, discus, 100m race, 400m race and long jump

Montrell Delaney
1st Place – shot put, discus, 60m, 100m, and 200m races

Jordan Maurer
1st – shot put

Tyler McComic
1st – 100m wheel chair race, shot put, javelin, discus
2nd – 800m wheel chair race