JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Special Olympics Missouri (SOMO) hosted its 2024 Awards Banquet on Saturday, November 23, 2024, at the Training for Life Campus in Jefferson City. This annual celebration brought together athletes, coaches, volunteers, families, and supporters to honor the outstanding achievements and dedication of the SOMO community over the past year.
The event highlighted the 2024 Hall of Fame inductees and recognized statewide award winners in several prestigious categories.
2024 Hall of Fame Inductees
This year’s Hall of Fame class included:
- Jeanie Byland – A longtime SOMO advocate and volunteer with a legacy of inclusion and excellence.
• Lucas Blattel – An accomplished athlete and inspiring leader in the SOMO community.
The SOMO Hall of Fame, established in 1997, recognizes the remarkable contributions of athletes and volunteers. Inductees are honored with a permanent video display at the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in Springfield.
Statewide Award Winners
SOMO also announced the statewide winners in the following categories:
Outstanding Athlete of the Year:
- Nicole Noblet – Kansas City Metro Area
Outstanding Coach of the Year:
- Dianna Neihouse – Kansas City Metro Area
Outstanding Family of the Year:
- Niemeyer Family – North Area
Outstanding Volunteer of the Year:
- Sally & Shawn Petersen – Kansas City Metro Area
Area Award Nominees
Each statewide winner was chosen from a group of nominees representing SOMO’s six geographic areas. Below are the nominees celebrated at the banquet:
Outstanding Athlete Nominees
- Central Area: Abby Bax
- Southwest Area: Jennie Crabbe
- North Area: Heather Lammers
- Kansas City Metro Area: Nicole Noblet
- Louis Metro Area: Joseph Niemeyer
- Southeast Area: Lucas Blattel
Outstanding Coach Nominees
- Central Area: Joseph Peart
- Southwest Area: Bonnie Franklin
- North Area: Lori Buhman
- Kansas City Metro Area: Dianna Neihouse
- Louis Metro Area: Mark Bussen
- Southeast Area: Tina Rice
Outstanding Family Nominees
- Central Area: Roberts Family
- Southwest Area: Stephens/Ronneberg Family
- North Area: Niemeyer Family
- Kansas City Metro Area: Montoya Family
- Louis Metro Area: Hawkins Family
- Southeast Area: Myers Family
Outstanding Volunteer Nominees
- Central Area: Kaley Barnes
- Southwest Area: David Thompson
- North Area: Misty Coyle
- Kansas City Metro Area: Sally and Shawn Petersen
- Louis Metro Area: Jason Flanery
- Southeast Area: Dan Zembsch
SOMO extends heartfelt congratulations to all nominees and winners for their contributions to advancing inclusion, joy, and athletic achievement.
For more information about the SOMO Hall of Fame, visit somo.org/hof. To explore a list of previous award winners, visit somo.org/awards.
Special Olympics Missouri
Special Olympics Missouri is a year-round program of sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Thousands of athletes participate in 13 Olympic-type sports throughout the state. Special Olympics provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy as they participate in the sharing of gifts and friendship with their fellow athletes, their family and friends and communities across Missouri.
Special Olympics Missouri is proud of our financial health, returning 83% of every dollar back to program services. We are privileged to be recognized with these honors: Better Business Bureau A+ Charity Accreditation, Charity Navigator 4-star rating and Guidestar Gold Level. Special Olympics was also recently named Morning Consult’s No. 5 most trusted nonprofit.
Thank you for trusting us with your donations, volunteer time and your goodwill.
Visit Special Olympics Missouri at www.somo.org. Engage with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tik-Tok, LinkedIn, Threads and YouTube.