Benjamin Bennett will become a part of history next week.

Bennett, 23, of Butler will be among the 86 athletes from Pennsylvania competing in the first-ever Special Olympics USANational Games in Ames, Iowa, July 2-7.

He will compete in tennis, the sport in which he won a gold medal in singles and doubles at the recent Special Olympics Pennsylvania Games at Penn State University.

While Special Olympics have existed in the United States for 37 years, there has never been a national event.

"It's a step we've been missing," said Kelly Stratton, Associate Director of Public Relations for Special Olympics Pennsylvania. "There's always been a local, state and world games.

"The national games are something that SOI(Special Olympics, Inc., the world's governing body) really got behind this year."

The national games will feature 3,500 athletes from all 50 states, 2,000 coaches and official delegates, and 8,000 volunteers. Games will be based around Iowa State University and the Central Iowa area.

The tennis competition will involve 103 athletes from 23 states.

"I'm excited about it. I can't wait,"Bennett said.

One of the 26 Special Olympics Pennsylvania coaches heading to Iowa is Bennett's father, Larry Bennett, who serves as tennis coach for the Butler County squad.

"We've only had a tennis team in the county for two years, but Ben has been playing the sport for about seven years,"Mr. Bennett said.

The younger Bennett has put in 25 two-hour practice sessions since the end of the Pa. Summer Games last year, when he also won gold in singles and doubles.

One of his tenmnis teammates, Don Monn, was selected as a first alternate to the national games, but will not be making the trip because none of the selected players dropped out.

To qualify for the national games, an athlete must have won a gold medal at either the Pa. Summer Games or last year's Fall Festival.

"All of the gold medal winners who expressed interest in going to nationals had their names pulled out of a hat,"Stratton said. "You had to win a gold medal to qualify.

"This is a competition and a chance for Special Olympian athletes and coaches from all over the country to get to know each other."

Bennett said he plans on enjoying the event.

"I'm just going to have fun and do the best I can," he said.

His father said Bennett's biggest attribute on the tennis court is his heart.

"He plays with a lot of heart,"Mr. Bennett said. "He gives everything he has in every sport he plays."

Bennett has competed in numerous sports through Special Olympics and was on the gold medal-winning basketball team from Butler County in the 1999 state games.

In the Special Olympics national tennis competition, the first player to score four points wins a game and the first to win four games — as long as it's by a two-game margin — wins the match. Seven-point tiebreakers will be played as necessary.

Players are placed into divisions by skill level, gender and age. Bennett will play in Division 5, one of the lesser-skilled divisions.

"Honestly, he should be in a higher division,"his father said. "He recently played against a Division 2 player and held his own, scoring 14 points.

"I think he can do well out there. I know we're thrilled about having the chance to go."

The mission of these USANational Games is stated as follows:To provide a first-class sporting event that celebrates the achievements of Special Olympics athletes in an Olympic environment while showcasing their talents, promoting understanding of the qualities and capabilities of persons with intellectual disabilities, and increasing public awareness and acceptance.