KU Softball's Rock Chalk Teams Compete in Amazing Race and Triathlon

Oct. 27, 2009

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Team PHOG and team Wheaties each walked away with a victory last week during Kansas softball’s “Rock Chalk Teams” competition. Team PHOG won the amazing race competition, while the Wheaties were victorious in the Rock Chalk Teams triathlon.

The “Rock Chalk Teams” competition is an event organized by first-year head softball coach Megan Smith and is designed to encourage competitiveness, team cohesiveness and bonding between players. The Jayhawk softball team is broken up into four teams- PHOG, Crimson Crusade, Wheaties and Warhawks- which compete against each other throughout the year for the opportunity to win challenges and earn points.

The Rock Chalk Teams amazing race included mental and physical challenges, and tested players’ knowledge of the KU athletic department and the Jayhawk softball program. Teams also created uniforms for the competition, with the Warhawks winning points for best costumes. Additionally, Julie Jenkins of the Wheaties team also earned a point for her group for her creative costume up as a Wheaties cereal box.

Later in the week the team also competed in a triathlon. The triathlon started with a five-mile bike ride in the weight room, followed by a two-mile run through campus and finished with a seven-lap swim in the KU pool. The Wheaties won the team competition, with the PHOG taking second. The top three individual finishers were senior Sara Ramirez (42:23), junior Brittany Hile (44:46) and freshman Maggie Hull (45:58). Individual stage winners included Maggie Hull on the bike with a time of 12:23, Ramirez in the run with a time of 19:09 and senior Amanda Jobe in the pool with a time of 8:21.

Not limited to softball skills, the Rock Chalk Teams competitions test the Jayhawk softball team in a variety of areas including community service, academics and in the weight room to name a few. The teams will compete in a pumpkin carving contest later this week.