HURON — Caleb Adermann, a first year member of the Unified South Dakota Special Olympics Basketball Team, recently was selected to go to Nationals in Seattle. Adermann was the only Huron player that was selected for the South Dakota team and returned home with a gold medal.
“Some of the teams were really good,” Adermann explained. “It was a tough team we went up against in the first game, which we lost, but we won the second and third games. Then we went to the championship game where we won first place. It was a close game, time was ticking down, and my team member made a basket with only a second on the clock. I was close to making some thre-point shots, but I shot some two-point baskets throughout the tournament and a two- pointer in the championship game.”
The South Dakota team stole a 26-17 victory over the Minnesota team, in the 2018 Nationals trip. Nationals runs every four years in different states, in four years time it is set to take place in Florida.
“It was a long trip. We took two planes to get there, but we got to see a baseball game and the fireworks on the fourth of July,” Adermann said. “We also got to trade our South Dakota pins with the teams from the other states.”
Each team was issued a basketball after the championship game. Every player signed it, and the S.D. basketball is currently in Castlewood. It will make its way to Huron to be displayed in the High School trophy case for a while before it continues to travel the state.

“I have always loved basketball,” Adermann said. “Some of the other sports I play are bowling plus field and track.”
The participants that go to Nationals raise money in their communities to help fund the trip. Adermann raised an impressive $2,644 through jars placed in local businesses and promotions.
Adermann explained, “I had a fun time with the team. All the players shared the ball and there’s a player who loves to dunk the ball.”
A lot of the players Adermann got to play with on his team are people he competes against for Special Olympics. He explained it was exciting for him to get to play with some of his competition during the basketball season.
When the school year begins, Adermann will go on to be a senior and continue to play the various sports he’s passionate about and strives to grow as a sportsman.
“My long term goal is to be a coach for the Special Olympics,” said Adermann. “I would love to coach for basketball, track and field or anything that comes my way.”

PHOTO BY ANGELINA DELLA ROCCO/PLAINSMAN
Caleb Adermann of Huron, center, proudly displays the gold medal around his neck, and all the pins he collected on his trip to Special Olympics Nationals in Seattle. With him are his mom, Shawn Aderman, left, and his sister, McKenzie. Not pictured is his father, Stuart Adermann.