They ran, jumped, sprinted, threw softballs and most importantly, enjoyed ice cream on a hot spring day.
A total of 420 Worcester Public Schools (WPS) student-athletes from 35 elementary schools competed at the 47th annual Worcester Mini Olympics at Foley Stadium on May 27.
Teams of 12 from each school competed in five track and field style events: standing long jump, 50-yard dash, 200-yard run, 4 x 100 relay and the softball throw. Individual or team winners of each event collected points for their school in the overall rankings.
Kevin Gniadek, a physical education teacher at both Vernon Hill School and Gates Lane School of International Studies, served as the main emcee for the event. In his opening remarks, he acknowledged and praised the student-athletes for being selected to compete.
“Each and every one of you has earned the right to be here and that is an incredible achievement,” said Gniadek. “You were selected because you represent the very best of your schools–not only in athletics but also in academics, leadership, character, determination and sportsmanship.”
Worcester Arts Magnet School garnered first place honors followed by a tie for second place between Union Hill School and Flagg Street School. The top six finishers in each event also received medals.
“We are so proud of our Mini Olympic team. Their effort in practice and strong teamwork led to this great achievement,” said Mary Ellen Scanlon, principal at Worcester Arts Magnet. “You could hear the cheers throughout the school when students and faculty heard the exciting news.”
Lake View School was the overall winner in 2025 after Union Hill placed first in both 2023 and 2024 under the leadership of physical education teacher Michael Carpenter, who has been instrumental in the operation of the Mini Olympics.
“Mike organized and ran the entire event soup to nuts,” said Gniadek. “I’m guessing he put in more than 100 hours on making it happen. The guy is a legend.”
The event also featured the presentation of the Jim O’Donoghue Sportsmanship Award, given to a student for demonstrating respect, kindness and fairness while playing sports or competing. The 2026 recipient of the award was Ana Rocha of Burncoat Street Preparatory School.
“Win or lose, the memories created here today, the excitement, the friendships, the teamwork and pride, are memories that will stay with you for a lifetime,” added Gniadek in his address to students.
Sponsors for the event were Worcester Fitness, the Education Association of Worcester, the 365Z Foundation, Inc., the Murphy and Lyons families, the Worcester Police Department and numerous WPS departments. Students from Doherty Memorial High School also served as event volunteers. Each student competing in the Mini Olympics was provided with a complimentary soft serve ice cream from the well-known Jerry’s Tastee-Freeze truck.
