Black Squad Wins OKC Challenge
November 25, 2014 | Softball
The University of Louisville softball team completed the 2014 OKC Challenge with a win by the Black Squad on Tuesday. Senior shortstop Whitney Arion provides the final recap of the competition.
Team obstacle course
Day four was for all the marbles! Whatever squad pulled off the win today was crowned champion. Today's event took place at Louisville's indoor football facility. We were going to need as much space as possible for this obstacle course! It was divided up into nine sections. Each section was loaded with details of what to do and what not to do and only the captain was allowed a copy of all the instructions, which is huge responsibility for the captains. Each team had two coaches watching their every move through out it all, keeping track of any mistakes that the team would make. Each mistake would be a 30 second deduction to the time that it took each team to reach the finish line! The team that had the best time wins.
The battle begins
The obstacle course began with "island escape." Every team member must be pulled on a sled. The object is to get each team member off the end zone "island" to the 50 yard line and then run the empty sled back to the end zone and get the next person. The event is complete after each member has been pulled off the "island" and arrived at the 50 yard line. This part of the obstacle course was a dead tie between the squads. Next was the "plate pinch carry." Five 45 lb. plates and one 35 lb. plate had to be carried from 50 yard line to the other end zone. After all the plates have reached the end zone it was time for "implement carry one." Ten implements must be transported back to the 50 yard line. However, on the way back you had to perform 10 body squats, 10 weighted jump ropes and 10 ball slams. Bear crawls were next on the list. Once the whole team was all in the end zone the team must bear crawl to the 50 yard line and then jump back into "implement relay two." It involved the same implements except after you have ran one implement from the 50 yard line to the end zone you had to go through a bunch of hurdles and boxes fast as you could without touching any of them. The event was complete after all 10 implements were sitting in the end zone.
I see the end
We were halfway through the obstacle course when it was time for the "chain run." Six chains had to be transported from 50 yard line to the end zone before jumping on the giant sled. The "giant sled" is exactly what it sounds like and four members are on the sled at all times as six people push them to the 50 yard line. Finally, we were approaching the end when it was time for the "agility course." Once everyone was through the course the team had to complete 20 perfect jumping jacks and everyone had to be in sync.
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner
The Black Squad finished first, however this wasn't an exact indication that they had won since the coaches had to deduct seconds from each team's time for any mistakes that were made through out the course. Both teams gathered together, waiting in anticipation for the results.... Red Squad finished in 26 minutes... Black squad... 25 minutes! Black Squad won it all!! 2014 OKC Challenge was officially over and Black Squad owned the title. Both squads shook hands and called it up. They all knew that at the end of day, there's only one team that matters and that team is Louisville Softball.
The road to OKC
This is where the road to OKC begins. It's a manifestation of all the training and practice that each individual puts in during the off-season. The OKC Challenge is an event that gives us all the opportunity to work together as a team and ultimately accomplish a goal. Even though winning the OKC Challenge can be a blast it's nothing compared to the joy that comes when the road to OKC becomes a reality. I'm a firm believer you reap what you sow and Louisville Softball is ready for the harvest!
