Blandford Elementary School students exercised their bodies as well as their minds, and just might have helped set a Guinness world record in the process.

BES joined more than 2,800 schools and organizations representing 36 countries around the world for "Stack Up," an effort to set a new world record for the most people participating in sport stacking in a 24-hour period.

The sport involves stacking specially-designed plastic cups up and down in specific sequences in as little time as possible. Research has shown sport stacking helps improve hand-eye coordination, reaction time, concentration and focus.

"It’s something everybody can do," said BES physical education teacher Suzanne Dasher. "This is good for every age because it works the right brain and the left brain, and it just flows into the classroom."

This was the third year in a row Blandford Elementary participated in the annual effort to break the stacking world record. BES classes in every grade level took turns stacking for 30 minutes at a time in the school gym.

Students stacked against the clock, competed in relay races and combined sport stacking with fitness challenges, such as alternating between moving a cup and doing a push-up. The activities are designed to promote fitness, strength, agility, coordination and teamwork.

"This was the best day ever," fifth-grader Sean Wayne said after his class finished.

Blandford Elementary’s 800-plus students helped the World Sport Stacking Association shatter this year’s goal of 500,000 people stacking over the course of 24 hours. This year’s exact total is not yet known because verifications are still coming in, but the WSSA confirmed Thursday that more than 554,000 people participated worldwide.

BES was part of setting a new record of 412,259 stackers two years ago, which was broken last year with 483,658. Blandford is the only Effingham County school that participates in "Stack Up."