Athletes will not be the only winners at Midnight Madness
KATIE McVOY
Associate Sports Editor
The madness is catching. Rampant questions of who is going to win are sweeping across campus. Plans for Friday night are easy enough to determine as team colors take control. No, it's not March Madness that will be rocking the Saint Mary's campus on Friday: ItŐs Midnight Madness.
The second annual intramural championship and athletic extravaganza will take place on Friday in Angela Athletic Center. The athletic department is looking for spirit from everyone — students, faculty, staff and visitors.
"This is not only about spirit for Saint Mary's students," athletic director Lynn Kachmarik said. "It's an event to get people aware of what's going on at Saint Mary's."
The evening will kick off with the winter intramural championships at 9 p.m.
The championship will close a very successful winter intramural season.
"We've had a tremendous turnout this year," assistant athletic director Gretchen Hildebrandt said. "We've more than doubled the number of teams."
Forty teams participated in intramurals.
Two teams out of that number have fought their way into the final game of the season. But the victories that are won on the court are only a small part of the winning that will be taking place on Friday.
The culmination of the evening will be a random drawing that will send one very luck Saint Mary's student and a guest to Chicago for a weekend with limo service to and from Chicago by Anthony Travel service, two nights in the Ritz Carlton, provided by the Office of the President, dinner at the John Hancock Signature Room, provided by the Saint Mary's varsity club, and a $1,000 shopping spree donated by the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs.
But the prizes don't end there. Other prizes include a Jostens or Balfour class ring, a reserved space in the faculty LeMans lot, the ever popular no. 1 room pick, gift certificates and plenty of Saint Mary's apparel.
Midnight Madness will also feature a 50-50 raffle. Tickets for that raffle have been on sale all week and will be on sale up through Friday night at the time of the drawing.
But the fun doesn't end there.
Anyone coming to Midnight Madness will have plenty of entertainment after the championships end at 10:45. Those attending can take be athletes themselves — taking part in activites such as tug-o-war, musical chairs, dodgeball or an obstacle course. The Saint Mary's cheerleaders and Dance Team will also be providing entertainment.
The most important part of the evening, however, is the class and school unity the night will create.
"[Midnight Madness] is an opportunity for all the classes to send off our senior women," Kachmarik said. "Our community has to be part of a vision of where we want Saint Mary's to go. We need to come together."
And Kachmarik is looking for big numbers this year — even bigger than last year.
"I would like to see over 1,000 women students at this event," she said.
The athletic department will be looking for class unity by encouraging women in all four classes to wear their class colors.
The first 50 women through the door on Friday from each class will be awarded a class T-shirt in the class colors. 100 more T-shirts for each class will be given away at random for the rest of the evening.
"These colors will follow each class until they graduate," Kachmarik said.
"That way, this year's T-shirt can be at campus events all the years the women are here."
Freshmen will be wearing purple, sophomores will be wearing orange, juniors will have on red, and the Saint Mary's seniors will be sporting Belles' blue.
Mindight Madness begins at 9 p.m. and ends at 1 p.m. All those planning on attending the event must be in the door by 11 p.m.
All Sports Stories for Thursday, March 22, 2001
