The television hit reality show “Amazing Race” has nothing on this competition.
On Thursday, the Northwestern State Lady Demon basketball team split into three teams and competed against one-another in its own version of reality-TV gone mad… with the exclusion of TV of course.
The teams had to take a clue that would lead them to a certain destination. At that destination awaited a certain event in which the team had 20 minutes to complete in order to earn points. After the five events, the team with the most points was declared the winner and earn “bragging rights” for the remainder of the season.
“I have to say, the reaction of the players on the very first clue had me rolling on the floor,” said head coach Jennifer Graf.
That clue was stated… “H. Lee had no idea a building would be named after him. Enter this building and ask the woman in charge of us for the test you must pass.”
The woman in charge… Mandy Wamsley, Lady Demon basketball secretary. The building… Prather Coliseum as most… MOST, would know.
Not these teams. They all jumped into their cars and headed in different directions – away from Prather Coliseum!
“It was the funniest thing,” said Graf. “We had one team to see our academic advisor Julie Lessiter.”
Eventually, the first test, which required the teams to correctly name all of the Southland Conference schools and their mascots, was passed and on to the next item.
One event had the teams meeting NSU assistant coach David Aguilar on the Lady Demon soccer field to compete in an archery contest. Then the teams had to follow a clue to meet NSU supporter Steve Pezant in an open field for a skeet shooting battle.
“Each team had a 25 shot limit,” said Graf. “One team didn’t complete it while another did it on their 23rd shot.”
The winning team?
“Dorothy Knox nailed the clay on just her fifth try.”
After that, the teams met on the Demon football field to attempt a 10-yard field goal and then had to push the blocking sled from one side of the field to the other.
“Ashley Barnum walked right up and nailed the field goal. That was pretty impressive. But the blocking sled was the best. We had one team run up to the sled and couldn’t move it an inch. It was the funniest thing,” said Graf.
The final event took place on Sibley Lake where one person on each team had to set up on a wake board for five seconds. There was a 20-minute time limit and only one team was able to accomplish it.
“The players were a little apprehensive about going into the water,” said Graf. “But then, Shonte (Kennedy) decided to jump in and do it.”
The problem?
“She doesn’t know how to swim.”
Luckily, everyone in the boat had a life preserver on so she was never in danger. Unfortunately, Kennedy was unable to stay the whole five seconds and her team failed in the competition.
However, her team, made up of herself, Brittaney Isom, Deashia Johnson, Dorothy Knox and Ashley Barnum were the winners of the entire competition.
“Of course, Chassidy (Jones) and her teammates are protesting the outcome,” said Graf.
So what’s the reason for conducting such an event?
“We needed some type of team building and bonding,” said Graf. “We wanted to take a break from our conditioning and I wanted the girls to overcome some fears and accomplish something they may have never thought they would ever do.”
With the new season on the horizon, the tradition of the Lady Demon basketball program seems stronger than ever.
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