National Student Athlete Day
Football players paddling through the pool, softball pitchers kicking field goals, golfers shooting hoops–the University of Indianapolis celebration of National Student Athlete Day on April 13 turned the athletic facilities upside down.
“It’s a very small thank you in return for the hours and effort that they put into their craft,” said Assistant Professor of Kinesiology Michael Diacin.
Sophomore Kelsey Rummel and freshman Cori Eckerle of the softball team attempt to stop the timer as they finish the boat race portion of the obstacle course during the National Student Athlete Day competition. Photo contrbuted by Sports Information.
National Student Athlete Day was started in 1987 by the National Consortium for Academics and Sports to celebrate student-athletes who have excelled in the classroom and within their communities. NSAD is celebrated at colleges and universities in various ways.
“Some people have dances; some people do talent shows and stuff like that. We try to use all the sports–you try to get as many involved as possible,” said Assistant Director of Athletics Daryl Gibbs.
This year’s event drew well over 300 student-athletes. Gibbs led the plan for NSAD 2011, the third year for the event at UIndy.
The obstacle course that members of UIndy’s athletic teams participated in were stations testing skills in basketball, volleyball, football, soccer, golf, baseball/softball and water sports.
The men’s and women’s track team was determined to win after a second-place finish last year.
“We’re like the predator, and they’re like the prey,” said sophomore track and field member Blaze Hurley. Trash talking aside, the student-athletes came together for the big day.
“All the student-athletes pretty much know each other around campus, so it’s a way for us to hang out and bond basically,” said freshman volleyball player Brianna Gannon.
At NSAD, athletes had a chance to grab dinner, win raffle prizes like an iPod Shuffle or gift cards and play games of cornhole between night classes, work and practices. The event was organized in part by Diacin’s Sports Finance class and was worth 25 percent of the students’ grade.
The division between student-athletes from different sports and non-athletes faded as the class and athletic department came together to celebrate the UIndy student-athletes.
“I think that there’s a camaraderie here that is probably not present in too many other universities,” Diacin said.
Senior softball player Meagan Gutierrez agreed.
“I really just enjoy all the sports coming together and being able to compete and get to intermingle some. It’s just a really good atmosphere.”
Although the environment was relaxed and fun, the competitive spirit UIndy athletics is known for did not disappear.
The teams participated in sports that they have rarely seen, let alone practiced. Freshmen basketball players Katy McIntosh and Eliza Wortman took part in paddling across the swimming pool in rafts. McIntosh described how, like most of the competitors, they struggled in the water sport and ended up backwards.
Gibbs also commented on the difficulty of some of the events.
“I had no idea how hard it was to kick a field goal,” he said, referring to an attempt at last year’s NSAD.
In the end, the men’s and women’s track team came out on top. With a time of 5:09:40, the professional baton carriers proved to be the fastest on the course. Men’s and women’s soccer came in second place.
While the track team earned the glory of being the obstacle course champion for 2011, the day was a celebration of more than just another win for UIndy athletics.
“We appreciate the fact that they’re serving as ambassadors of the university and the efforts that they make in terms of giving the University of Indianapolis athletics program a good reputation,” Diacin said.
