The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) partnered with Special Olympics Indiana to hold the sixth annual Trivia Night, on Sunday. The Anderson Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) took second place in the team standings.

Anderson SAAC continued its partnership with Special Olympics-Madison County for the event. Pizza King sponsored Anderson SAAC during the event, providing pizza for the Anderson competitors during the competition.

"At Pizza King, we're thrilled to support our local heroes and foster community spirit," Pizza King Director of Marketing Austin Prather said. "We proudly donated pizza to Anderson SAAC's Trivia Night partnering with the Special Olympics to create an unforgettable evening of fun, competition and inclusion for all."

The event welcomed over 75 participants from nine of the member schools, with Student Athletes and Special Olympic Athletes teaming up for a night of fun. This year's trivia event was themed 'Winter Olympics', and after five rounds of trivia and a final Jeopardy round. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology captured first place with 161 points. Anderson came in second with 151 points, finishing ahead of Mount St. Joseph University (148), Transylvania University (144). Bluffton University and Franklin College tied for fifth with 141 points each. Earlham College came in seventh with 108 points, Berea College secured eighth with 92 points and Manchester University rounded out the team standings with 73 points.

The night was filled with smiles and laughs. Following each round of trivia, the participants interacted in 'Brain Breaks', which featured a range of activities from scavenger hunts to interactive activities. Bonus points were awarded to teams who stood out during the brain breaks and dressed or celebrated to the event's theme. Comedian Craig Tornquist served as the night's host, engaging every member of the audience, while also facilitating the Trivia contest.

"Trivia Night was a great success," Anderson SAAC Vice President Josiah Marshall said. "Special Olympics of Indiana and the HCAC did an outstanding job creating a night of fun and inclusion that brought out student-athletes and community together. We're incredibly thankful for Pizza King's support of our community in this event and we look forward to partnering with them again in the future! Events like this highlight how athletics can extend beyond competition to make a meaningful impact in our community."

Competing for Special Olympics-Madison County included Ryley Snyder, Rachel Metz, Gabe Helvering and Niles Lumpkin. Anderson SAAC members to compete on Sunday included Josiah Marshall (Men's Basketball), Emily Bantsolas (Women's Swimming & Diving), Rob Davidson (Men's Basketball), Naomi Hoover (Women's Soccer/Women's Track & Field), Lacy Rathbun (Volleyball), Maddie Schoenradt (Softball), Alexis Schultz (Softball), Jacob Scruggs (Men's Basketball), Jaylan Seeko (Men's Track & Field) and Madalyn Sink (Women's Swimming & Diving).

"The HCAC SAAC & Special Olympics trivia night was a huge success," Anderson SAAC Advisor Tami Miller said. "Both our student athletes and the Special Olympic athletes had a great time. We had a pizza party, compliments of Pizza King, and enjoyed fellowship and the spirit of competition white playing trivia. I was proud of all the athletes with a strong second-place finish."