FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 14, 2007
2007, 2008 FHSAA Swimming & Diving Finals to be held in Orlando
GAINESVILLE – The 2007 and 2008 FHSAA Swimming & Diving Finals state championship meets will be held at the YMCA Aquatic Center on International Drive in Orlando, the FHSAA Office announced today.
The dates of the event are November 1-3, 2007, and November 13-15, 2008.
The Central Florida Sports Commission and Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando partnered on the bid to bring the event back to Orlando. The swimming & diving finals were previously held at the Orlando facility from 1985 through 1994 and from 1997 through 2000.
“We are excited by the prospects of the FHSAA Swimming & Diving Finals returning to Orlando,” said FHSAA Commissioner John A. Stewart. “The FHSAA thanks the Central Florida Sports Commission and Lake Highland Preparatory School for putting together the proposal to bring the event back there.
“We look forward to working with both organizations, as well as the management of the YMCA Aquatic Center, to make attending this event a memorable experience for student-athletes, coaches and spectators.”
It marks the first time that the Central Florida Sports Commission and the FHSAA have directly worked together to place a state finals event to the Orlando area.
"We are excited to be partnered with Lake Highland Preparatory School and the YMCA Aquatic Center to welcome the FHSAA Swimming & Diving Finals back to Orlando," said John Saboor, president of the Central Florida Sports Commission. "The YMCA's outstanding facility, coupled with Orlando's centralized location for all high school athletes, make our community the ideal site for this prestigious championship. We are looking forward to our new relationship with the FHSAA, and are hopeful that these events are the first in a series of FHSAA championships we will be successful in attracting to Central Florida."
Other cities submitting proposals to bring the event to their areas were Fort Lauderdale and Largo.
About the FHSAA
The Florida High School Athletic Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletics in Florida. It has a membership of more than 700 middle and high schools, and sponsors postseason competitions to determine the official state high school champions in 28 different sports.
About the Central Florida Sports Commission
The Central Florida Sports Commission is a non-profit, private organization created to attract international, national and regional events and sports-related business and activities to Central Florida. The Sports Commission is the Central Florida area’s clearinghouse and first point of contact for sports and sports-related activities ans is committed to developing the region’s sports product.
Contacts:
Jack Watford
Director of Communications, FHSAA
(352) 372-9551 ext. 170
jwatford@fhsaa.org
Jason Maderer
Marketing Manager
Central Florida Sports Commission
(407) 648-4900 ext. 16
jmaderer@orlandosports.org
