Special Olympics Swim Team
Greenwood Special Olympics Team Strives at Qualifier Meet
Holyoke, MA: This year is an Olympic year and many swimming athletes around the nation are training fiercely to get a cut time for the chance to compete at the Olympic trials and to earn a spot on the USA National team for the Beijing Olympics. The Greenwood Special Olympics Swim Team is no exception. Eight Greenwood swimmers and their coaches, Diana Ringer, a five year Special Olympic Massachusetts coach, and Anne Marie Caissie, a four year SOMA coach, traveled to Holyoke High School in Holyoke, MA for the Western Massachusetts Special Olympic Qualifier meet on May 3, 2008. The athletes have been training hard for the past few months and their hard work and perseverance paid off. All of the Greenwood swimmers came home with medals and several were gold.
Adam McKinney of Winchendon competed in the men’s 25-meter freestyle and seized a gold medal finish, in addition to his silver medal performance in the 25-meter backstroke; Eli Murray of Baldwinville, earned 2 individual gold medals in the 50-meter freestyle and backstroke, while Luigi Tassone of Gardner, boasted 2 gold medals in the 25-meter and 50-meter freestyle; Thomas Padula of Westminster, grasped a gold medal in the 25-meter backstroke and a silver in the 25-meter freestyle; Fitchburg residents: Jerry Duguay and Kenny LeBlanc shined at the meet bringing home 2 gold medals in the 25-meter freestyle and backstroke; Chris DeSantis proudly came home with 2 silver in the 25-meter and 50-meter freestyle; Kenney Colwell seized a gold in the 25-meter freestyle and a bronze in the 50-meter freestyle; Eric Kovacs achieved a gold in the 15-meter freestyle floatation race and a silver in the 25-meter freestyle flotation race. Greenwood swimmers Kenny LeBlanc, Jerry Duguay, Tommy Padula and Eli Murray competed in the 100-meter freestyle relay and captured a gold medal.
Coaches Ringer and Caissie are very proud of their athlete’s accomplishments and are looking forward to this years Massachusetts Special Olympic State Champs which will be held at Boston University and Harvard University on
June 13 -15th, 2008.To learn more about Greenwood’s Special Olympics Program, Pre-Competitive/ Competitive swim teams and the Learn to Swim programs, please contact Diana Ringer at 978-632-0678.
