RAPID CITY, S.D. — It’s been two years since the Jim Scull Mt. Rushmore Classic Swim meet was held at Rapid City’s Roosevelt Swim Center – and now it’s back.
Over 430 swimmers from seven states including North and South Dakota, Minnesota and Colorado.
Putting it together while coming out of a pandemic undeniably added to the planning difficulty especially with a meet this size.
“When you have this many kids, there’s a lot of logistics that goes into it and we just can’t do it without all the help and support from all of our families,” said Staton Anker, the Director of the Jim Scull Swim Meet.
It’s another sign that things are slowly coming back.
Aside from the presence of these swimmers, another bonus is the impact it has on businesses who are also finding their way back.
“They’re staying in our hotels, eating in our restaurants, so yeah, this is big, I would like to think that this is a big boost to the local economy for the weekend,” Anker said.
These athletes – depending on their skill level and age, are training anywhere from one and a half to three and a half hours a day for a meet like this and as they develop, that’s where the joy is.
“The fun part is watching kids improve, get that big smile on their face that they learned a new skill or they went faster or whatever and with the older kids, some of them want to go to college and everything , so it’s just kind of helping everybody get to where they want to go,” said Dean Hawks, the Head Swimming Coach of the Rapid City Racers.
A meet that’s making a splashy impact on more than just the swimmers.
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