Student athletes show off talents for nonprofit

Members of the men’s baseball team pranced around the Mitchell Hall stage clad in neon spandex leggings, dresses and wigs to a mash-up of Spice Girls songs on Monday night at the inaugural Student Athlete Talent Show.

The women’s soccer team soon joined them on stage, dressed in backward hats and baggy jeans as singers from the ’90’s band, The Backstreet Boys.

Junior Polly Reinicker, a member of the women’s soccer team, said she was glad to perform a dance number with her fellow athletes.

“It’s such a fun way to have teams join together and see each other’s talents off of the game field,” Reinicker said.

Proceeds from the talent show were donated to the Special Olympics of Delaware.

Senior Lauren Kanaskie, a member of the women’s rowing team and secretary of the Student Athlete Advisory Council, said the group decided to proceed with plans for the event in October.

Kanaskie commended the Special Olympics of Delaware participants.

“They had no nerves and were really excited to work with us,” Kanaskie said.

The night began with a skit performed by the women’s rowing team followed by a hip-hop routine starring the women’s swim team.

Freshman Hailey Farrell, a member of the women’s swim team who has never participated in a talent show, said she looked forward to showing the audience her team’s dance moves.

“The freshmen worked hard for two weeks on an original collaboration of songs from our favorite female singers,” Farrell said.

Following the swimmers’ routine, the field hockey team walked on stage covered in glow sticks to perform a light show to Vanilla Ice’s, “Ice, Ice Baby.”

The show closed with a combined dance number with university athletes and Special Olympics participants to Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA.”

Freshman Mary O’Reilly said the council should continue to involve all of the athletes in future events.

“My favorite part of the show was definitely the ending number,” O’Reilly said. “It was really great to have the Special Olympics work with the athletes.”

Junior Chelsea Craig, a member of the women’s basketball team and president of the Student Athlete Advisory Council, said committee members hoped to solidify the talent show as an annual tradition.

Craig said she enjoyed watching each of the acts and was surprised to see what some athletes were capable of.

“Some people have talents that you wouldn’t have guessed,” Craig said.