KEY LARGO, Florida Keys — Some of the nation's finest collegiate swimmers are to vie for honors at an Orange Bowl Festival event in Key Largo. The seventh annual Orange Bowl Swimming Classic is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 2, at the Jacobs Aquatic Center, mile marker 99.6 oceanside in Key Largo.

The classic is the culmination of a month-long Orange Bowl training session for collegiate swimmers in the Keys. The sprint-style meet is expected to feature 24 fast-paced swimming events.

Eleven college teams are scheduled to return to winter training in Key Largo, including George Mason University from Fairfax, Va.; University of Michigan from Ann Arbor, Mich., and Duke University from Durham, N.C. — each already registered to compete in the classic.

“All the teams love to come to the Key Largo area to train,” said Dr. Jim Boilini, event chairman, who also serves on the board of directors of Upper Keys Community Pool Inc., also known as Jacobs Aquatic Center.

“The event indeed gives all locals and visitors a firsthand vision of these world-class, outstanding young scholar athletes,” said Boilini. Nearly 250 athletes and coaches are expected to attend.

Admission is free to watch the competition. A post-contest awards social and dinner is to follow the meet at the Jacobs Aquatic Center. For information regarding the Orange Bowl Swimming Classic, call (305) 453-7946.

An array of other events surrounds the annual FedEx Orange Bowl, scheduled Tuesday, Jan. 5, at Miami’s Land Shark Stadium. For information about these events, visit orangebowl.org.

For information on Upper Keys accommodations, call the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce at (800) 822-1088 or (305) 451-1414, or explore this Web site.