Jeanne Hackett, left, of the Village of Glenbrook, and Karen Panker, of the Village Santo Domingo, are two of the most decorated VAST swimmers at the Florida Senior Games. Hackett won five gold and three silver medals, and Panker won seven gold medals. Florida’s Friendliest Hometown might need to be renamed “Florida’s Winningest Hometown” as residents of The Villages put on a collectively impressive performance in the opening days of the 2022 Florida Senior Games. The Villages Aquatic Swim Team set the tone with a dominant first weekend at the pool, bringing home 55 gold medals among 93 total medals from the Temple Terrace Family Recreation Center near Tampa. Not only that, all 26 VAST swimmers who entered the Games qualified for next summer’s National Senior Games in Pittsburgh — a first for the team. To qualify for nationals, a competitor must finish in the top four of their event. “I was going through the results and I realized that I put a check by everyone’s name,” said VAST president Dale Charrette, who qualified himself.
“I was talking with some of the older swimmers (at VAST) that have been around for 20-plus years and they said they don’t think it’s ever happened that everyone that went to the state meet qualified for nationals. That’s pretty cool.”
The Florida Senior Games began on Dec. 3 at venues around Pasco County, in Tampa’s northern suburbs. Competition continues through this weekend, with events such as track and field, pickleball, volleyball, shuffleboard and powerlifting on […]
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