Hilton Head, S.C. – A talented group of athletes and Unified partners represented Special Olympics Virginia at the 2025 Special Olympics North America Tennis and Pickleball Championship, held October 16–18 in Hilton Head, South Carolina. The three-day event brought together more than 200 competitors from nine Programs across the U.S. for an unforgettable weekend of competition and connection through sport.
🎾 Tennis Results
Virginia athletes earned impressive results across singles, doubles, and Unified doubles play:
- Aaron Phommachanh – 1st place, Level 5 Singles
- Xavin “Vinny” Stern – 2nd place, Level 5 Singles
- Tomoya Wiley – 3rd place, Level 5 Singles
- Kristin Locatelli – 2nd place, Level 5 Singles
- Morad Motamedi – 3rd place, Level 5 Singles
- Michael Thorpe Jr. – 5th place, Level 4 Singles
In traditional doubles, Stern and Wiley teamed up for a 2nd place finish in Level 5 Doubles.
Unified Doubles teams from Virginia also reached the podium:
- Morad Motamedi & Michael Thorpe Sr. – 1st place, Level 5B Unified Doubles
- Aaron & Hack Phommachanh – 1st place, Level 5C Unified Doubles
- Michael Thorpe Jr. & Paris Motamedi – 2nd place, Level 4B Unified Doubles
🏓 Pickleball
Virginia also had a strong presence in pickleball, with multiple athletes and Unified partners competing across Unified and traditional doubles divisions:
- Doc Powell & Keith Walker – Unified Doubles Level 3
- CJ Gallagher & Robert Luk – Unified Doubles Level 3
- Alvernon Singleton & Isaac Lucky – Doubles Level 3
Full pickleball results will be announced soon.