WATCH: Middletown High School special needs student featured on national news

Segment on Luke Atkinson includes photos from last week’s Journal-News story.
Luke Atkinson, a senior student manager at Middletown High School, was introduced along with other seniors before the game Tuesday night, started the basketball game against Mason and scored a basket. He was accompanied on the court by his parents, Mark and Jennifer, and brother, Jake. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Luke Atkinson, a senior student manager at Middletown High School, was introduced along with other seniors before the game Tuesday night, started the basketball game against Mason and scored a basket. He was accompanied on the court by his parents, Mark and Jennifer, and brother, Jake. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

MIDDLETOWN — National television news picked up a story the Journal-News featured last week about a Middletown High School special needs student honored at a boys basketball game on Senior Night.

A 90-second segment by ABC’s national newscast on Luke Atkinson, a Middletown High School senior, was heavily edited Sunday night due to a NHL game going into overtime.

Their Atkinson piece was shown on ABC national news as part of the network’s series called America Strong.

In the full report available in digital, several of Journal-News staff photographer Nick Graham’s photos were shown.

The Journal-News and other news agencies featured Atkinson when he was honored last week before the Middies’ last home basketball game of the season. Atkinson, a senior with Down syndrome, has been the manager for the basketball team for four years, and he started the game on the court for the Middies and scored two points against Mason.

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