Ledger

Issue date: 5/22/08 Section: News

UWT Intramural football players bring in the end of the season in record breaking temperatures.

Players celebrate the final match of the UWT intramural football season on May 17.

Four Saturdays, countless touchdowns, and a few injuries later, University of Washington Tacoma's official flag football intramurals season is over.

Tacoma's Stanley Park hosted the first game on April 26, and was attended by approximately 20 students, including a record four girls. The attendees participated in the light-hearted and exercise-intensive round of games.

During the third game, sophomore Daniel Arroyo, also an elected senator of ASUWT next year, injured his leg, but continues to support the flag-football teams.

Sophomore Amy Reinke joined in on the fun this season, and is glad she chose to do so. "It is so intense," Reinke said, "the glory of scoring a touchdown drives me to do better each time I go." Many students feel the same excitement about the game Reinke does, and even go as far to get work off for the 11 a.m. games.

Freshman Tyler Pederson attended all the game days with great enthusiasm. "Flag football is like life," Pederson noted, "it requires perseverance, self-denial, dedication, respect for authority and it is tons of fun!"

Loosely timed and "semi-refereed" by student Tyler Curley, who also jumps in on the field action from time to time, the flag-football games got intense.

Some players found ways to attach their flag bands so they would not come off when pulled, and others had secret plays they shared with their teams to score NFL-worthy touchdowns. The female players played key roles in the final score-board count, because their touchdowns count as two points instead of one. Each Saturday new teams were re-picked, which helped to mix things up, especially with the lack of players who could serve as quarterbacks.

Games were played in the pouring rain, as was the case on May 3 with 46 degree weather and lots of rain, and also in the blazing heat, like on their final match May 17, with high temperatures passing ninety degrees.

lly from Arizona, seemed to be faring the best in the sweltering 80 degree heat of the final game. "I love this weather," Long beamed, "I actually feel like myself in the hot weather." Other students had to take frequent water breaks from the game.

Overall the season was a great success and a lot of fun for all who participated. Sophomore Erica Stirn made it to the final game, and wished she had been to the other three. "This is great," Stirn said, "I think this is the best workout I have had in weeks. I only wish I wasn't getting sock tan lines!"

The final game of the season concluded in a 2-point touchdown scored by freshman Rachel Frank.

The enthusiasm for intramural sports at UWT seems to be rising, and any who are interested in getting involved have the opportunity to do so at the Student vs. Faculty/Staff softball tournament Saturday May 31, beginning at 10 a.m. at Stanley Park in Tacoma

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