By Charles Jardine
Assistant Editor
After a week’s delay, this year’s Household Olympics kicked off at 10 a.m. on Sept. 17 at the Intramural Field.
Each household suited up in household gear, many wearing face paint and audibly showing team pride.
The music and organization of the event were led by the assistant director of Household Life, Bob Lesnefsky, who helped bring energy to the early morning event.
This year’s format was run through the Intramural team’s software with games being tracked online for the first time ever. It featured 12 different games from a hot dog throwing contest to a toilet paper unravelling race and a dead hang competition.
After nearly three hours of games, the top four men’s and women’s households competed in a new final event – the wheelbarrow race. The exclusion of the customary tug-of-war event was likely due to a new emphasis being placed on participant safety.
The top households for men’s teams followed by the women’s brought their best wheelbarrow race pair to the line, where they anticipated the start from Lesnefsky.
On the men’s side, Defenders of Purity pulled away early in the race and never let off the gas, easily winning and upsetting the previous year’s winners.
Likewise, Totus Tuus Maria took off in lightning fashion, becoming one of the few households to defeat Regina Angelorum and bring an end to their 10-year winning streak.
Both households will be able to call themselves champions until they are invited to defend their title in next year’s Household Olympics.
Senior finance major Tyson Smith said, “It was a great day, and the energy from the music and the games made for a great environment.”
Junior business major Paul Fuerst said, “It was worth it just to see the joy on Bob’s (Lesnefsky) face as he moved the arms on his tractor up in down to agonize the dead hang participants.”