Collegiate 10th Graders Sponsor Meet in the Middle

Collegiate School today hosted the 31st annual Meet in the Middle, a Special Olympics event for Henrico County Middle School students run by Collegiate 10th Graders. Nearly 300 visiting students competed in multiple sporting events on Grover Jones Field.
Missy Herod, Upper School Associate Director of Student Life, started the event in 1987. To prepare for the meet, sophomores arrived early to set up the campus and greeted the athletes from 10 area middle schools as they arrived and competed in running, jumping and throwing events. Collegiate students also directed a basketball clinic, presented awards, ran an arts-and-crafts station and played with the athletes in the Olympic Village.

Collegiate 10th Grader Victoria Allen announced the name of each school as students processed onto the field. She and fellow classmates Caleigh Deane and Elizabeth Hamner expressed excitement as the day’s events began.

“I am looking forward to seeing the kids having a good time,” Caleigh said.

“I can’t wait to interact with the kids,” Elizabeth said.

Steve Hickman, Collegiate’s Head of School, welcomed the athletes at the event’s opening ceremony and encouraged them to have a wonderful day.

“Consider Collegiate your home today,” he said. “Have fun and enjoy yourselves.”

In between her duties, Collegiate 10th Grader Rishika Pal caught a bit of shade and articulated what the day meant to her.

“I’m so excited,” she said. “I think it’s great that Collegiate gives us the opportunity to give back to the community this way.”

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