Ocean City Aquatics Center Hosts Special Olympics

More than 60 swimmers from throughout southern New Jersey competed Sunday in the Special Olympics at the Ocean City Aquatics and Fitness Center.

The annual event is a highlight of the year for area athletes with intellectual disabilities and includes an opening parade, competitive events and podium awards ceremonies as in the traditional Summer and Winter Olympics.

The athletes remain true to the Special Olympics motto: "Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."

Competing teams included the Ocean City Stingrays, Cumberland ARC, the SPARC Swim Team (which practices out of Rowan University) and the Bancroft Adult Community team.

The Ocean City Fire Department, Mayor Jay Gillian, the Ocean City C-Cerpants age-group swim team and a host of other community volunteers helped organize and run the meet.

Here are the top three finishers in each event. Click on the attached PDF for complete results.

WOMEN'S 100 IM

1. Vicki Beeler, 33, SPARC, 2:12.13
2. Tracy Mussara, 39, Stingrays, 2:32.38
3. Katie Barnes, 28, SPARC, 2:40.00

MEN'S 100 IM

1. Daniel Miller, 39, Stingrays, 1:51.00
2. Mike Herbst, 32, SPARC, 1:56.48
3. Joe Hale, 28, SPARC, 2:04.32

WOMEN'S 25 FREESTYLE

1. Brynn Eckmanshaw, 22, Sharks, 27.19
2. Lesley Grossman, 38, BANC, 28.22
3. Kristen Knoth, 40, BANC, 28.25

MEN'S 25 FREESTYLE

1. Tom Panichello, 57, Sharks, 20.37
2. Matt Koller, 27, SPARC, 24.44
3. Jim Pedano, 51, SPARC, 25.65

WOMEN'S 50 FREESTYLE

1. Sara Misal, 35, Stingrays, 1:05.51
2. Rachel Slaughter, 21, Stingrays, 1:07.54
3. Katie Barnes, 28, SPARC, 1:09.57

MEN'S 50 FREESTYLE

1. Daniel Hendrixson, 15, Stingrays, 43.08
2. Mike Dirkes, 30, Stingrays, 43.42
3. Shawny Richards, 21, Sharks, 44.53

WOMEN'S 100 FREESTYLE

1. Susan Dever, 40, Stingrays, 2:13.30
2. Katherine Cajualo, 30, Stingrays, 2:21.91

MEN'S 100 FREESTYLE

1. Caleb Mead, 18, SPARC, 1:35.62
2. Joe Hale, 28, SPARC, 1:39.73
3. Keith Rigg, 38, SPARC, 2:34.02

WOMEN'S 25 BACKSTROKE

1. Lesley Grossman, 38, BANC, 33.09
2. Sarah Hendrixson, 18, Stingrays, 36.99
3. Chrissy Simcox, 32, SPARC, 40.81

MEN'S 25 BACKSTROKE

1. Shawny Richards, 21, Sharks, 23.98
2. Tom Panichello, 57, Sharks, 28.51
3. Evan Biesecker, 26, Stingrays, 30.39

WOMEN'S 50 BACKSTROKE

1. Vicki Beeler, 33, SPARC, 58.88
2. Amber Pelletier, 41, SPARC, 1:03.77
3. Susan Dever, 40, Stingrays, 1:08.04

MEN'S 50 BACKSTROKE

1. Brian Decicco, 30, Stingrays, 2:01.30
2. Jason Murrowany, 24, Sharks, 2:10.18

WOMEN'S 25 BREASTSTROKE

1. Rachel Slaughter, 21, Stingrays, 37.39
2. Cindy Maule, 30, SPARC, 51.07

MEN'S 25 BREASTSTROKE

1. Scott Martin, 37, SPARC, 37.34
2. Matt Koller, 27, SPARC, 38.05
3. Malcolm Ramsey, 41, BANC, 43.43

WOMEN'S 50 BREASTSTROKE

1. Katie Barnes, 28, SPARC, 1:04.84
2. Vicki Beeler, 33, SPARC, 1:05.32
3. Amber Pelletier, 41, SPARC, 1:17.72

MEN'S 50 BREASTSTROKE

1. Tom Panichello, 57, Sharks, 55.10
2. Jason Murrowany, 24, Sharks, 56.73
3. Mike DeLaurentis, 19, SPARC, 1:06.24

WOMEN'S 25 BUTTERFLY

1. Susan Dever, 40, Stingrays, 27.13
2. Sara Misal, 35, Stingrays, 29.02
3. Jen Tomlin, 38, Sharks, 40.48

MEN'S 25 BUTTERFLY

1. Mike Dirkes, 30, Stingrays, 24.30
2. Daniel Hendrixson, 15, Stingrays, 24.46
3. Tommy Quattrocchi, 18, Stingrays, 25.93

WOMEN'S 50 BUTTERFLY

1. Lisa Mcleer, 25, SPARC, 1:25.61
2. Whitney Finney, 24, Sharks, 1:38.31

MEN'S 50 BUTTERFLY

1. Daniel Miller, 39, Stingrays, 49.00
2. Mike Herbst, 32, SPARC, 51.63
3. Chris Gaimari, 52, SPARC, 52.46

WOMEN'S 200 FREESTYLE

1. Sara Misal, 35, Stingrays, 5:26.55

MEN'S 200 FREESTYLE

1. Daniel Miller, 39, Stingrays, 3:39.03
2. Tommy Quattrocchi, 18, Stingrays, 3:40.04
3. Mike Herbst, 32, SPARC, 3:40.62

MIXED 100-METER FREESTYLE RELAY

1. Stingrays: Evan Biesecker, John Bienakowski, Ashton Frohner, Daniel Hendrixson, 1:47.90
2. Sharks
3. SPARC

MIXED 200-METER FREESTYLE RELAY

1. SPARC: Chris Gaimari, Joe Hale, Caleb Mead, Mike Herbst, 3:02.69
2. Stingrays
3. Stingrays

MIXED 100-METER MEDLEY RELAY

1. Stingrays: Sara Misal, Tracy Mussara, Mike Dirkes, Mike Kmiec, 2:04.06
2. Sharks