Students, staff take on course

Last week, students and staff members at Hot Springs County High School challenged themselves through the Badcat Obstacle Course Race.

The course took them through and around the school, as well as the Ralph Witters Elementary (RWE) playground and into Hot Springs State Park.

Beginning at the northeast corner of the track at LeRoy Hayes Memorial Stadium, participants run about half a lap before climbing an A frame over the fence into the RWE playground to complete both sets of monkey bars.

They then run back to the high school gymnasium to climb the rope in the wrestling room, and take to the indoor track for hurdles over rolled up mats along one side and an army crawl on the other.

Heading downstairs, they each had three attempts to make a half-court shot.

Back outside they went, to the practice field for a farmer walk - boys holding two 45-pound plates, girls carrying 2 25-pounders - before a bike ride to the state park boat dock and back. Finally, they had to walk/run on balance beams and run to the finish at the track.

For each obstacle except the half-court shot, contestants had one attempt. For each failed obstacle, they had to do 25 push-ups. Many chose intentionally fail obstacles, such as simply throwing out the basketballs randomly, and taking the push-ups to improve their overall time.

Teams were made up of four people with one runner per day.

Taking first place as a team, with a combined time of 41:21, was Hudson Roling - 9:26.88, Jon Harvey - 9:31.07, Clemens Abbott - 11:06.76 and Jeff VanAntwerp - 11:15.88. Roling also took first in individual times and Harvey took second.

The second place team, with a time of 42:01, was Mitch Baker - 9:59.98, John Hagen - 10:12.99, Cullen Becher - 10:27.99 and Jayden Christianson - 11:30.54. Baker took third for individual times.

The third place team, with 44:15, was Koy Myers - 10:25.73, Kolby George - 10:38.43, Ethan Becher - 11:32.01 and Tanner Boss - 11:39.55.

Another five teams competed, including: Blake Williams - 10:47.21, Riley Shaffer - 11:20.86, Noah Schwalbe - 11:41.54 and Hunter Mounts - 12:39.78; Total time - 45.88.

Matt McPhie - 11:29.81, Brandon Deromedi - 11:47.62, Cortney O'Connor - 12:37.08, and Catelyn Deromedi - 13:51.22; Total time - 49.45.

Chase White - 12:07.52, Sascha Mobbs - 14:10.01, Andrew Yarbrough - 14:11.76 and Trevor Stimpson - 15:40.08; Total time - 56:09.37.

Tahja Hunt - 11:37.81, Aspen Jensen - 14:42.39, Ashley McPhie - 14:58.39 and Sesi Jensen - 16:09.92; Total time - 59.27.

Jarrod Little - 14:24.82, Cameron Cole - 14:31.38, Dalton Ammon - 22:27.01 and Garrett Severns - 23:22.02; Total time - 74:45.23

Additional contestants included: Strite Daniels - 11:52.86, Logan Maier - 12:50.87, Jaxson Jensen - 14:02.33, Hunter Bartholomew - 20:19.05 and Dakota Maier - 21:20.11