Each year, while the juniors and seniors face off on the field and in the gym for Wildcat Challenge as they did Friday, school spirit soars among the lower grades. Sophomores especially begin to look ahead to to when they will take their turn in the event.

Wildcat Challenge provides seniors and juniors the opportunity to blow off steam while competing in activities, such as wheel barrel racing, brain bowl and tug of war. Each homeroom is a team, and the team gets points every time it wins an activity. Homerooms members create a theme — usually based on the a variation of the adviser’s name or homeroom flag — and then dress the part.

Sophomore Courtnee Reidel said she has been waiting for Wildcat Challenge since she heard about it in seventh grade.

“Seeing the juniors and seniors dress up and have fun really gets me excited to experience Wildcat Challenge next year,” Reidel said. “I just can’t believe that it’s just next year.”

Reidel said appreciated the clever ways the juniors and seniors dressed up.

“I saw some pretty cool costumes and outfits,” she said. “I really hope we think of a clever and funny homeroom name next year because I want my homeroom to stand out.”

Sophomore Kathe Schrader says it was weird not having as many students in the halls Friday.

“I think it was cool to be the oldest grade for a day,” she said. “It gives us a little taste of what senior year is going to be like.”

By Lexi Vorndran