Fun Meet Brings Students, Community Together
Local Special Olympians Prepare for Competitive Season

Photo by Phil Diven/The Slate

By Ryan Houck
Asst. Sports Editor

If a smile is any indicator of success, then Thursday’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Special Olympics Fun Meet was a hit.  

SU athletes and Special Olympians alike took to the Donald M. Miller pool at Heiges Field House to compete for a second straight year, making new friends in the process.

Joined by special guests, SU President William Ruud, SU Athletic Director Roberta Page and Pennsylvania Rep. Rob Kauffman, participants competed in a swim meet filled with a host of traditional and original events.

Each Special Olympian received a welcome from the crowd of athletes, cheerleaders, pep band and community supporters as they were introduced before hitting the pool.  Senior football player and SAAC Vice President Josh Oswalt was excited to see the reactions of participants during introductions.  

“That feeling I get when I walk out onto the field on Saturdays, to give that to these guys, it means a lot,” Oswalt said. “After last year’s event, it was the talk of the year with these guys.”

The Special Olympians are no strangers to the facility, however.  Most Thursday nights the local Special Olympians practice at the pool and are frequently visited by athletes like Oswalt and SAAC President Will Kane.

 The two were often asked by the Special Olympians how long it would be until the next Fun Meet.

Following introductions, Special Olympian Anthony Golter opened the meet with a heart-felt rendition of the National Anthem.

First up on the schedule of events was the 25-yard freestyle race.  Oswalt, a participant in the event, brought the crowd to laughter as he stepped to his starting block.  

Mounting the block in Lane 4, Oswalt tore away his warm-ups to show off his fluorescent legskin swimsuit.  Oswalt’s attempt at a competitive edge failed though, as he finished dead last in the heat.

SAAC tied in several original events including a beach ball swim, noodle swim and rubber ducky collection race.

 The latter event challenged swimmers to collect the rubber fowl floating in their lanes while making their way down the pool. Several Special Olympic swimmers showcased their talents in events spaced throughout the meet.

 Special Olympian Geldin Romano treaded his way down the pool with the help of Ruud and Kauffman, bringing the bleachers to life, as the entire crowd cheered Romano to the end of his lap.

Senior SU swimmer and SAAC Treasurer Mandi Foltz put her athletic accomplishments into perspective after watching a swim like Romano’s.  

“It feels great to get out of the water posting a personal best time, but to see the smiles on the Special Olympians’ faces is a whole different level of a great feeling,” Foltz said.

The most competitive event of the meet featured Page and Special Olympian Ashley Park in a head-to-head 50-yard freestyle and backstroke medley.  Park and Page swam neck-and-neck, but it was Park that squeaked out a win as she touched the wall first. After hopping out of the pool, Park shared the secrets of her success.

“I just go out and have fun,” Park said. “We practice from September until June when we go to Penn State and I just keep practicing until I get it perfect.”

As for Page, she was impressed with Park’s abilities.  

“She is a heck of a swimmer,” Page said. “I told her I kept looking out of the corner of my eye to see if I was winning or losing and I realized how far behind I was.  I didn’t realize how good of an athlete she was.”

Special Olympian Peter Seiler led all swimmers in the night’s final event, as he doggie paddled his way to a first -place finish.  

While Ruud, Oswalt and Page were expected to be Seiler’s only competition, head swim Coach Tim Verge found his way into the pool fully clothed to add to the competition.

Through the sale of links to a “Chain of Love” that circled the walls of the pool, SAAC was able to contribute over $500 to the local chapter of Special Olympics.

To help foster the new friendships created during the meet, dining services sponsored a dinner in Heiges where SU student-athletes, Special Olympians and their families could bond and share their experiences.

Ruud was proud of the student-athlete representatives and the event.  

“To get engaged in the community like they did, that’s a life lesson that will stick with them for the next 50 years,” he said. “The smiles on the athletes’ faces showed they were having a good time.  I had a ball and the Special Olympians did too.”