Running, biking, hiking and maneuvering all over town, Murray State students have counted this year’s Maneuver Murray event as another success.
Held on Saturday the annual event resembles the Amazing Race in that competitors had to complete a set number of tasks as quickly as possible to win.
This year’s event was the second ever Maneuver Murray put on by the Wesley Foundation.
This year, there were many repeat competitors as well as newcomers to the event.
“This was our first time participating in Maneuver Murray,” Bailey Schminke, senior from Evansville, Ind., said. “It gave us a chance to bond and have one last hurrah before we all graduate. Our favorite part was, well, all of it. The weather was beautiful, and we even got some exercise.”
Schminke was a member of team HR Divas.
Other teams, like The Untouchables, said despite a few equipment failures, the event was still an awesome time with lots of laughs.
“I almost face-planted because my bike got a flat tire, but I just barely managed to avoid it,” Helen Beckert, freshman from Henderson, Ky., said. “Even with the flat, we still finished all of the activities with a good time, and had an even better time doing it.”
Madison Mucci, sophomore from Nolensville, Tenn., and Fundraising Chairperson of the Wesley Foundation and Maneuver Murray coordinator, said though the event is a large undertaking, the fundraiser has been a big hit in Murray because of its unique nature.
“Putting together Maneuver Murray is a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun at the same time,” Mucci said. “It is really cool because it is a community-wide event, and when the committee was organizing it, we got to meet and interact with a lot of the Murray community.”
Mucci said the friendliness and willingness to help and participate in Maneuver Murray by the community has been great to watch as individuals and businesses have stepped up to the plate.
This year’s winning team, coming in with the fastest time and no penalties, was team Coldwater Allstars. Comprised of members John Hughes, Darrel Neidigh, David “Fred Palmer” Lawrence and Erin Dick. The team said this year was its second time participating in the event.
“We did pretty well last year, but this year we learned to pay more attention to the clues and map out exactly what we plan to do before leaving the building,” Hughes said. “That way, you don’t waste any extra effort doubling back and going farther than you needed to.”
Hughes also said every group should have bikes, as they allow you to get around much faster and easier, making competition times much faster.
“I don’t mean this in a bad way, but let’s face it,” Hughes said. “You’re not going to win walking.”
The event also offered a few more eccentric awards for teams such as the best costume award, and the oldest team award.
The award for best costume went to Murray State’s own Sigma Alpha Iota for their color-coordinated tutus. The oldest team award went to Big Blue, as they had the highest cumulative age of all participating groups.
Story by Shannon MacAllister, Staff writer.