White ties, once used to bond two friends together, went flying through the air. Legs kicked out in a scrambled attempt to regain balance, as a cry of victory was heard over the jeering crowd: SENIORS!
It seemed to be a race run in slow motion. One could only watch in suspenseful horror as each grade had their moment to shine this past Wednesday during the Three-legged Race portion of Spirit Week 2008.
Juniors Colleen Fitzgerald and Bridget Fay reported their more then enthusiastic feelings on the race both before and after it occurred. One intriguing development discovered was a deep-seated competition between themselves and senior partners James Cadogan and Matt Roberts.
“We want to beat them," Fitzgerald said. "We have been “rivals” for a while because they always think they are better than us.”
Their playful challenge was easily met by the boys, who dominated the field.
Both girls had participated in some form of three-legged race before, and it was this prior knowledge that gave the juniors such a promising chance in the race. Although most teams went for more of a ‘hop- run’ technique, Fitzgerald and Fay took a more erudite route of intense communication and a well-polished gallop.
“She will listen to me," Fitzgerald said of her partner, “and we are on the same sports teams so we knew we would work really well together.”
Other interesting techniques developed were; sharing the same shoes so they would lock in well together, finding partners of the same height, and dedicating hours of practice the whole week before during lunch.
“It takes 110% to win,” Fay told The Tiger Transcript.
The true story behind this cut-throat event was seen by the Freshmen, who were less-than-enthused to experience the reality of their first taste of Spirit Week. Although they had been playing well the first day, it seems that this spicy grade fell a part during the last outdoor events. Freshmen team John Fierro and Ryan Lawlor had been promised a place on the field that day, only to be welcomed by the cold shoulder of reality.
“We went out on the field,” Lawlor said, “but they had too many people trying to play.
Fierro said: "Even though we were the very first to sign up, our place was taken by someone who hadn’t even made the effort.”
Although this story is truly heartwrenching, the Freshmen class can at least find solace in the fact that the Sophomores didn’t even get to participate. A false start by some springy young men took the Class of 2011 out of the race.
Nerves ran high as these valiant warriors took the field to fight for their grades pride, and even though the seniors were predictably victorious, the battle was one that will be remembered for ages.