Anchorage’s Emi Hamazaki competes for Team Alaska during the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota in late June. (Photo provided by Special Olympics Alaska)
The 2026 USA Special Olympic Games in Minneapolis featured nearly four dozen participants from all over Alaska, including Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kodiak and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.
The athletes racked up impressive accolades and brought home plenty of hardware following the Games last week.
Over the course of the five-day event, the Alaska contingent competed in a variety of sports: unified bowling, unified golf, Level 5 golf, unified bocce, swimming, track and field, powerlifting, gymnastics, unified basketball, pickleball and cornhole.
“From the opening ceremony to the final medal presentation, Team Alaska showed the nation what the Alaska spirit looks like,” Special Olympics Alaska President and CEO Sarah Arts said in a statement. “Their grit, sportsmanship, and unwavering support for one another led to an outstanding performance and a remarkable haul of medals. They represented our state with excellence, proving that success is measured not only by the hardware they brought home, but by the way they competed — with heart, integrity, and joy.”
Kodiak’s Reuben Hall competes during the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota in late June. (Photo provided by Special Olympics Alaska)
Total medal count by athlete:
• Rachel Robinson, Anchorage: two golds (gymnastics), one fourth-place ribbon (gymnastics), two fifth-place ribbons (gymnastics)
• Emmett Gill, Anchorage: three silvers (powerlifting) and one fourth-place ribbon (powerlifting)
• Jason Criss, Soldotna: one silver (swimming), one fourth-place ribbon (swimming) and one seventh-place ribbon (swimming)
• Victoria Hercher, Wasilla: two fifth-place ribbons (swimming), one seventh-place ribbon (swimming)
• Reuben Hall, Kodiak: one gold (track and field), one bronze (track and field) and one fifth-place ribbon (track and field)
• Kimberly Marion, Wasilla: one gold (team bocce), one silver (bocce singles) and one fourth-place ribbon (bocce doubles)
• Shantel Bunting, Wasilla: one gold (team bocce) and one fourth-place ribbon (bocce doubles)
• Michael Hunter, Anchorage: one gold (team bocce), one silver (bocce singles) and one fifth-place ribbon (bocce doubles)
Soldotna’s Jason Criss competes in a swimming competition for Team Alaska at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota in late June. (Photo provided by Special Olympics Alaska)
• Trey Bernert, Anchorage: one gold (team bocce) and one fifth-place ribbon (bocce doubles)
• Alexis Lewis, Fairbanks: two golds (unified bowling and) and one silver (bowling singles)
• Brianne Hayes, North Pole: one gold (unified bowling), one silver (bowling singles) and one fourth-place ribbon
• Tina Lewis, Fairbanks: one gold (unified bowling) and one silver
• Leah Gaston, Fairbanks: one gold (unified bowling) and one fourth-place ribbon
• Emi Hamazaki, Anchorage: one gold (track and field), one bronze (track and field) and one fourth-place ribbon (track and field)
Wasilla’s Victoria Hercher preps for a swim event during the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota in late June. (Photo provided by Special Olympics Alaska)
• Garrett Stortz, Palmer: one silver (golf)
• Alex Steinborn, Anchorage: one fifth-place ribbon (golf)
• Brian Swanson, Anchorage: one fifth-place ribbon (golf)
• Logan Christianson, Wasilla: one silver (basketball)
• Cody Bryan, Wasilla: one silver (basketball)
• Daquon Brunson, Wasilla: one silver (basketball)
• Zachary Kolstad, Wasilla: one silver (basketball)
A Team Alaska basketball squad breaks their huddle during the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota in late June. (Photo provided by Special Olympics Alaska)
• Alex Guess, Wasilla: one silver (basketball)
• Vidal Snell, Eagle River: one silver (basketball)
• Cedric Roland, Wasilla: one silver (basketball)
• Durell Snell, Eagle River: one silver (basketball)
• Nathaniel Hunt, Wasilla: one silver (basketball)
• Tony Hepinstall, Palmer: one silver (basketball)
