Ocean City Plays Key Role in 2014 Special Olympics USA Games

New Jersey will be host to the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games, and some familiar faces from Ocean City will be part of the preparation.

Ocean City Aquatics and Fitness Center Director Karen Pratz is serving as the assistant head of the New Jersey delegation to the Summer Games, helping to organize practices and to meet the needs of the competing athletes.

Ocean City Primary School teacher Carrie Merritt and Ocean City Recreation Department supervisor Lisa Rumer are coaching athletes in the sprint triathlon, a new exhibition event to be held for the first time in summer 2014.

Ocean City Stingrays swimmer Dan Hendrixson, 15, learned two weeks ago that he earned a spot on the 24-member New Jersey aquatics team that will compete in the Summer Games from June 14 to 21 in Mercer County.

Swimming events will be held at Princeton University. Other events will be held at venues throughout Mercer County, including Rider University, The College of New Jersey, Mercer County Park and several area private schools. 

Special Olympics will field 270 athletes chosen to represent New Jersey at the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games, which will host about 2,500 athletes competing in 16 sports. The Special Olympics "promotes the ideals of acceptance and inclusion through sport and highlighting the abilities of athletes with intellectual disabilities."

On Sunday morning at the Ocean City Aquatics and Fitness Center, Pratz helped organize the first practice of the New Jersey swimming team. Athletes and coaches traveled from throughout the state to train together.

Swimmers like Hendrixson, an Egg Harbor Township High School student, will work out at different venues in New Jersey as the Summer Games approach.

Brian Wertz of Special Olympics New Jersey said the swimmers will be able to train at Princeton's DeNunzio Pool to become familiar with the competition venue. He also said he's excited to see the two new exhibition events for the first time: baseball and triathlon.

Merritt and Rumer competed this weekend in the Miami Man Half-Iron and International Triathlon on Sunday.