The stands of Heiges Field House were complete with cheering fans Thursday as the pools filled with excited swimmers at the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) annual Fun Swim Meet.
The Special Olympics group comes to Heiges every Thursday for swim lessons and free swim. Once a year, SAAC holds a fun swim meet for the kids to compete against each other. Shippensburg’s basketball, field hockey and swim team gathered to cheer on the participants.
The meet started with a parade of athletes and an announcement the swimmers. The kids walked through a tunnel of cheerleaders as the crowd grew excited. The event began with a 25-meter freestyle race, followed by the “best trick” competition. There were belly flops, 360 twirl jumps and swan dives.
The excitement continued with a yoga ball relay, 25-meter backstroke and a “biggest splash” competition. Everyone jumped off the diving blocks at once and turned the first two rows on the bleachers into a splash zone. The final event was a doggy paddle relay.
The night was completed with an award ceremony. Every swimmer was announced to walk and receive a certificate. They exited by walking through a tunnel made by the students involved in SAAC.
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