OSU Unified All-Star Flag Football Team competes at national event

An athlete wearing an Oklahoma uniform carries a football during a flag football game, running across the field while teammates and spectators appear in the background.

Dodging defenders on Colorado’s All-Star Flag Football team, Oklahoma State University Unified partner Gracie Maschmeier dug deep and applied 15 months of practice and preparation during game one of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.

Oklahoma’s quarterback Carter Pfieffer targeted Unified partner Abby McNeely until Colorado’s players covered her from all sides. Maschmeier waved vigorously at Pfieffer from the back of the end zone, catching his attention for an open 25-yard pass, and in a beat, the ball was in her hands.

With the trust and chemistry built between her teammates, Maschmeier scored a touchdown for Oklahoma.

Since 2022, the OSU Unified program has partnered with OSU Intramurals to offer athletic opportunities to adult Special Olympic athletes to compete alongside Unified partners, which include OSU students, staff and faculty. The 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota marked the first time OSU Unified athletes and partners were selected to represent Oklahoma at the national level.

Oklahoma’s team consisted of athletes Dominic Adkins, Alex Fruits, Garrett Jones, Jared Lowry and Pfieffer, and partners Shanovia Forbes, Maschmeier, McNeely and Emma Roy.

The OSU Unified All-Star Flag Football team members prepared themselves to leave their best effort on the field as they represented their state on the national stage in June.

Maschmeier’s touchdown was one of many exhilarating moments for the team; still, the play was the result of more than a year’s worth of hard work, commitment, team building and intentional inclusivity.

An athlete wearing an Oklahoma flag football uniform stands on the field during competition, with spectators seated in the background and green flag belts visible at the waist. — PUTTIN’ ON THE BLITZ | Members of OSU Unified’s flag football team joined Team Oklahoma at the Special Olympics USA Games, showing off their skills on the field.

An Oklahoma flag football player wearing jersey number 10 gestures to teammates during a game while a referee and opposing player stand nearby on the field. — PUTTIN’ ON THE BLITZ | Members of OSU Unified’s flag football team joined Team Oklahoma at the Special Olympics USA Games, showing off their skills on the field.

Teaming Up

Inclusivity is the name of the game for Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools, and OSU Unified has moved the chains.

Shanovia Forbes, OSU Unified partner of the All-Star Flag Football team, is a graduate of OSU’s Human Development and Family Science master’s program and a continuing doctoral student within the department. During her graduate journey, Forbes received a message from her graduate advisor, Dr. Jennifer Jones, the director of the OSU Center for Developmental Disabilities, encouraging her to consider an opportunity to become a Unified partner.

After joining the program and embracing the community, Forbes became inspired to pursue a master’s thesis studying Unified Champion Schools and the impact they have on social inclusion for Special Olympics athletes in Oklahoma.

Her research shed light on OSU Unified’s intentionality in its social inclusion efforts and on how intention can set a Unified program apart.

“I feel that OSU has one of the top Unified programs in the U.S.,” Forbes said.

She explained that determining Unified programs’ implementation quality and whether they aid in social inclusion is measured through multiple pillars; however, inclusion is at its strongest when ‘whole school engagement’ is high. This means that the greater the engagement from communities, teachers and students, the greater the inclusion for athletes.

“Everyone who’s a part of OSU Unified is passionate about inclusion and passionate about individuals with disabilities,” Forbes said.

She noted that the “buy-in” support the OSU Unified community has for the program and its members sets it apart from others in and outside of the state.

"Everyone who’s a part of OSU Unified is passionate about inclusion and passionate about individuals with disabilities.”

— Shanovia Forbes, a student of OSU’s Human Development and Family Science graduate program and OSU Unified partner of the All-Star Flag Football team

Talking about Practice

The OSU Unified All-Star Flag Football team was led by coaches Tim Jones and Dr. Stephen Clarke, the dean of the OSU College of Education and Human Sciences. Clarke volunteered as the team’s defensive coordinator, with Jones helming the offense.

From April 2025 to June 2026, Clarke and Jones saw the team come together for practice twice a week and exude confidence, commitment and dedication to their teammates and the Special Olympics Oklahoma Delegation.

“It inspired us, [the coaches] to give everything we had to support them,” Clarke said.

The community surrounding the Oklahoma team increasingly amplified the spirit and energy of its players as the Special Olympics USA Games drew nearer. Friends and family of each OSU Unified partner, athlete and coach showed up to support their community and loved ones as the Oklahoma delegation took to the field for five intercollegiate games throughout the week.

For some OSU Unified athletes, playing on the fields of the Special Olympics USA Games meant working hard and spending valuable time with their teammates.

OSU Unified athlete Garrett Jones described what playing alongside his friends on the All-Star Flag Football team meant to him.

“It’s being a good teammate, being a good sport and helping cheer on my teammates,” he said.

Jared Lowry, a longtime Special Olympics athlete, stated how he felt about the opportunity to compete.

“It feels like we are working together to accomplish something big,” Lowry said.

Clarke said the Special Olympics Oklahoma Delegation didn’t just accomplish something big; they laid the new foundation to build upon in the years to come.

A group of athletes and coaches in matching blue uniforms wave and walk together during an opening ceremony or team parade at a large sporting event. — SPECIAL CELEBRATION | OSU’s supporters traveled to Minnesota to watch their Unified players take on the best of the best.

A Shared Bond

The definition of inclusivity is unique for each Unified program across the U.S.; however, OSU Unified has chosen to define inclusivity as celebrating and uplifting every athlete’s strengths and supporting each player on and off the field.

Throughout 15 months of partnership and teamwork, athletes and partners of OSU Unified’s All-Star team built a familial bond that carried them through the hard work and challenges of a national competition.

Maschmeier reflected on how she saw her teammates show up for one another, including their enthusiasm during the highs and perseverance during the lows.

Maschmeier suffered an unfortunate injury in the middle of game four during the USA Games, setting her back from competing in the week’s remaining competitions.

Fortunately, with the support of the team and OSU Unified community, Maschmeier felt the love and care she had for her teammates reciprocated tenfold; she was able to enjoy the conclusion of the USA Games cheering from the sidelines.

OSU Unified has shown that when the support and passion of a community band together to support Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools, inclusivity and connection thrive.

“Without the SOOK community, this experience would not have been possible, and we are grateful for their support to change lives through sport,” Clarke said.

Explore opportunities to get involved with Special Olympics Oklahoma and OSU Unified at okla.st/unifiedsports.