Athletes switch it up, try other sports; who will go farthest?

Alex Jensen, Sports editor

The Wildcats’ throwing and kicking abilities were put to the test in a cross-sport challenge, testing which Wildcat could get the highest mark. Athletes in baseball, soccer, football, lacrosse and javelin were all determined to get the farthest distance.

Maya Peterson, sophomore lacrosse player, started it all off by chucking the ball 48 yards. Freshman Colton Ramos, punter for the football team, also threw 48 yards.

Then there was a battle between the soccer goalies.

Freshman Madi Reimer started things off by drop kicking the soccer ball 38 yards. But Senior Eli Peckham did her one better by drop kicking it 39 yards. Freshman Griffin Popp took their call and raised them 52 yards.

Unfortunately, Reimer was not able to redeem herself after her second 41-yard kick.

Freshman javelin thrower Alec Miller came out with a good show, throwing 53 yards with a fin flyer, which is a type of practice javelin.

Sophomore Ayden Allen, catcher for the baseball team, catapulted the competition by throwing the baseball 91 yards.

The mix up:

After all the athletes threw and kicked the object involved in their own sport, it was time to switch things up.

Soccer goalies attempted punting a football and Ramos tried his hand at drop kicking. Miller gave both lacrosse and baseball a whirl. Allen gave the javelin his best shot. Peterson and Popp both decided to switch it up entirely, going from throwing to kicking and vice versa.

Miller topped the ranks during the mix up, throwing a baseball 85 yards and a lacrosse ball 41 yards.

“I did not expect the javelin thrower to throw a lacrosse ball that far,” Peterson said.

Next came Popp trying his hand by throwing a baseball 61 yards.

Then the punting battle commenced.

Peckham led the pack by punting 38 yards. Reimer came next at 28 yards. Peterson switched from throwing to kicking and got it to the 23-yard-line without shoes.

Ramos drop-kicked 41 yards, saying afterwards that it felt awkward kicking a soccer ball.

Reimer said that people usually think she can kick a football and football player Ramos said the same about throwing a soccer ball.

Sadly, Allen was tripped up throwing the javelin and his demanding lead did not follow through into the mix up. But he did his best and threw 21 yards.

The group all agreed with Popp when he said that trying a different sport felt so foreign.

“[I] thought watching a kicking sport athlete try to throw something was probably the funniest and most awkward,” Peckham said.

Peterson thought it was interesting that a lot of the sports involved similar motions but because the ball compositions differ so greatly they all fly differently.

“It was interesting how mechanics play such a big role. I thought it was funny watching people try other sports because they don’t practice them,” Ramos said.