Specially Made Penguins Open Season at Cameron
The Lawton-area swim team began its season with personal bests in every event and second-place finishes among its athletes.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Swimming
The Specially Made Penguins opened their season with a meet at Cameron University in Lawton on Friday. Twelve members set new personal best times in every event they swam, and some placed second.
Why it matters
The opening meet marks the start of a season of Special Olympics competition for athletes ranging from 8 years old through adulthood, giving Lawton-area residents a local swimming program to follow. The team's activities depend on the Simmons Center pool and volunteer support.
Twelve team members competed at the opening meet, and each set a new personal best in every event swum, measured against their own previous times. Official results for the upcoming Edmond and Stillwater meets have not yet been reported.
The players
Specially Made Penguins
A Special Olympics swim team founded in 2018 that includes athletes from age 8 through adulthood and draws members from communities including Duncan, Marlow and Rush Springs in southwest Oklahoma.
Cameron University
A public university in Lawton, Oklahoma, that hosted the team's season-opening meet.
The details
The team competes in Special Olympics meets across Oklahoma during fall and winter, racing against both their own previous times and other swimmers. In spring and summer, the team shifts to Unified Cornhole competition.
Timeline
June 2023: Kearsty McCoy participated in the World Special Olympics.
2018: The Specially Made Penguins team was started.
Friday: The season-opening meet was held at Cameron University in Lawton.
Following Thursday: A competition is scheduled in Edmond.
Following Friday: A competition is scheduled in Stillwater.
Season Trajectory
The season opener establishes the team's fall and winter schedule of Special Olympics swim meets across Oklahoma, with Edmond and Stillwater competitions next on the calendar. Personal-best results at the start of the season set a baseline for athletes to build on as the year progresses.
Local residents who want to watch the team can attend the upcoming Edmond and Stillwater competitions, with dates set for the week after the opening meet. Fans following the season can track athletes' personal-best progress meet by meet.
The takeaway
Each athlete's measure of success is progress against their own previous times, and the season opener showed personal bests across the board. Following that progress through the Edmond and Stillwater meets offers a clear view of how the team develops.
What happens next
The team's next competitions are scheduled in Edmond on Thursday and in Stillwater on Friday of the following week.
Further reading
For more on local competitive events, explore Swimming coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Duncan Banner.
