It was a morning full of friendly competition at Bass Hoover Elementary School Friday, as students enjoyed the "Wacky Olympics". The Wacky Olympics are a spin-off of the annual field day tradition observed at most schools, but with an educational twist. "Each class was assigned a country" said 5th grade teacher Deirdre Gallaher, whose class learned about South Africa. "We also tied in the opportunity to talk about the upcoming Olympics and China."

Friday's games even had a feel of the real Olympics. Mirsad Mehic, a Bass Hoover parent, helped light the ceremonial flame. Mehic, represented Yugoslavia at the 1972 and 1984 Olympics, and felt the spirit of the games was alive and well in Stephens City.
"You can see the kids are so excited" said the former Olympic gymnast. "They want to compete, they enjoy the activities outside and that's most important."