Softball Enters Second Half of OKC Challenge
November 25, 2013 | Softball
Nov. 25, 2013
The teams were tied entering the second half of the OKC Challenge. Junior shortstop Whitney Arion provides the details of day three.
Entering the final half of the OKC Challenge, the Red and Black squads were tied with 300 points each. Both teams had the weekend to refocus and finish out this challenge strong. It is now day three and the ambition to win is at an all-time high for these Louisville Cardinals. Their mental toughness is put to the test when Teena arranges an early morning trip to KFEC (Kentucky Fair Exposition Center). History tells us, that we were about to endure a good old fashioned truck push. Today was broken up into two events, each worth 100 points and a bonus opportunity worth 50.
Running Around Ring Road
The first event was a pretty good endurance test to say at the least. It was race around KFEC! The first team to have all members cross the finish line of the two-mile stretch wins this event. The 25-degree weather and intense wind chill created for some adversity, not to mention the lovely smell of livestock that come along with running next to Kentucky's finest animal exhibits. I'm sure you catch my drift. I must add that we were booking it the entire time, considering that the last person finished the race around 14 minutes. The bonus opportunity was included in this event as well. The deal was that the first person to finish the race would earn their team 50 additional points. Our cross-country runners on the team, Rachel Houck and Hannah Kiyohara of the Red squad led the way. Hannah finished first, helping her team to the first 50 points of the day. Both teams seemed to stay packed together during this race, but it wasn't until the final stretch when it was easier to see which team would have all their members through the finish line first. The red squad was said to have won this event until further evaluation was taken regarding a red squad member who was not able to finish the race due to being sick prior to this event - thus placing the black squad in a position to earn 100 points for this event.
A Tough Choice
After a short minute of rest, Teena was ready to begin our last event of the day. This involved a race between the Black squad pushing the truck and the Red squad jogging around KFEC with the same wooden post we used last Friday at the stadium. The choice between the two options was up for grabs for the Red squad since Hannah Kiyohara had finished first. The red squad chose the wooden post! This wooden post weighs several hundred pounds causing the task of racing 2.5- miles with it bumping up and down on you shoulder, a painful one especially with fresh bruises from the last experience but this didn't stop the Red squad. They were able to adjust and came up with another plan that may have very well helped them dominate this event. Distributing all the weight from their shoulders to their waists, each person holding it with one hand, from one side of the post or the other. Trailing not to far behind was the Black squad. The challenge with the truck was that it not only weighed an unimaginable amount but it also needed to be pushed up two hills, that was the struggle.
The grind was real today for both teams but only one team came out on top in today's OKC Challenge. The Red squad killed this event and took Day 3 with a total of 150 points to the Black squad's 100. The score will be 450 to 400 going into the final day of the OKC challenge. Tomorrow is the big day!
