By ALIN HETTHays Post
The Hays Buffalo Special Olympics team arrived at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games carrying little expectation outside of simply competing well and hopefully winning a game.
After a week of competition, they returned home as silver medalists on one of the biggest stages in the country.
Held June 20 through June 26 in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games brought together about 3,000 athletes and 1,500 coaches from all 50 states.
The games were hosted primarily at the University of Minnesota, while additional competitions and events took place at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Allianz Field in Saint Paul and the Mall of America in Bloomington.
More than 10,000 volunteers and thousands of fans packed venues throughout the week-long celebration of inclusion, competition and perseverance.
Representing Kansas, the Hays Buffaloes became one of the biggest surprise stories of the tournament.
Earlier in March, the Buffaloes basketball team lost all three games at the state tournament without recording a victory. The struggles were difficult, and coaches knew the team still needed to learn how to fully trust each other on the court.
According to Tiffany Schulte, director of activities and programs for the Arc of Central Plains, the team’s transformation during the USA Games was something nobody expected.
“The biggest thing for us, we really struggled in the beginning to work as a team, to listen to the coaches,” Schulte said. “And the very first game they went out there like superstars and just killed it. They did everything that we had been trying to get them to do for the last year.”
Schulte said the opening game immediately showed something had changed.
“It was like a whole new team,” she said. “They just went out there and gave their all and really showed their true potential.”
The Buffaloes quickly turned heads during the national tournament. After dominating their first two games, the team suddenly found itself advancing further and further through the bracket.
“We went just hoping to win a game,” Schulte said. “And then they slaughtered game one, they slaughtered game two.”
Even after a difficult loss later in bracket play, the Buffaloes responded with another victory to reach the championship game.
“And then we were in the championship, and it was like, holy moly,” Schulte said.
The run to the finals marked a historic moment for the program. Schulte said this was the first full team from the organization to compete at the USA Games.
For a group that once struggled simply finding chemistry, finishing second in the nation became almost impossible to describe.
“For them to come back with second place is just incredible,” Schulte said. “I do not have any other words for it. It was incredible.”
The growth extended far beyond basketball.
Schulte said one of the biggest developments over the last four years has been the bond between players. What once felt like a group of individuals slowly turned into something much stronger.
“When I first started almost four years ago, there was not a lot of tightness,” Schulte said. “Now it is like a family.”
Schulte often reminds players they are more than teammates.
“We are a buffalo herd, we are a family,” she said. “We need to be there for each other all the time.”
That connection showed throughout the tournament, especially during the team’s opening game when every player scored.
“Every athlete on the team scored in that first game,” Schulte said. “It was amazing.”
She also pointed to the chemistry between athletes Steven Lawson and Riley Green, who seemed to move together naturally throughout the week.
“I have never seen those two so in sync,” Schulte said. “It was like they could read each other.”
For Lawson, the experience ended with pride and excitement after helping Kansas bring home the silver medal.
The memories from Minnesota will remain with the team for years, but for Schulte, one moment stands above everything else.
“Just the fact that they came from losing all three games at state to winning second place at the national level,” she said. “I think that is what I will remember the most.”
The next Special Olympics USA Games are scheduled for 2030 in Cleveland, Ohio, but for the Hays Buffaloes, the 2026 run already secured a place in program history.
Schulte also said the team averaged 19,000 steps a day walking around Minnesota going from event to event. They arrived on Saturday and by Wednesday, had already walked 42 miles. The Hays Buffaloes also lost to Hawaii in the championship game, giving them second place and a silver medal to go along with the competition.
From a team searching for confidence in March to one standing on the national stage in June, the Buffaloes proved how far belief, teamwork and perseverance can carry a group willing to grow together.
One more aspect that Schulte said was important to highlight is the bowling performance from Lakin Eckroat, she placed first and received a Gold Medal for the Hays Buffaloes. In the single competition, she placed fifth and in the doubles she placed fourth.
