Last year's Midnight Madness kicked off the idea, but this week the fall intramural season kicked off for real. For the first time in Saint Mary's history, athletic staff and students are working together to make the intramural program a success.

"The numbers have doubled since last year," athletic director Lynn Kachmarik said. "But is that good enough? No."

"In years past, a junior would start an intramural program, but then she would graduate and it would die out," assistant athletic director Gretchen Hildebrandt said. "Now with Midnight Madness, there is a reward for intramurals, a reason to keep it going."

"We've never had a director of intramural and club sports before," Kachmarik said.

Now they do. With the arrival of Sports Information Director Suzanne Smith, Hildebrandt has taken on the new role of director of intramural and club sports. Along with student director Janelle Miller, Hildebrandt is working to make intramurals a real success.

Many colleges and universities use their intramural programs as a source of dorm unity, sorority unity or class unity. Saint Mary's was missing that bond, according to Kachmarik.

"Previously, there was no tie to anything," Kachmarik said. "Now we're talking about where we want to go and we're going to associate [intramural sports] with residence halls."

This year's intramural program will be a collaboration between the athletic department, Residence Life and Student Activities. Kachmarik and Hildebrandt met with resident advisors and hall directors in search of support.

"We're taking it back to where the students live," Kachmarik said.

This fall, teams for flag football, tennis doubles and sand volleyball registered according to residence halls. Winter sports teams for five-on-five basketball, indoor soccer and four-on-four volleyball also will register through the residence halls. Kachmarik hopes registering through the halls will bring hall pride to the women playing on the teams and the halls they represent.

"It's important the women see the community supporting them," Kachmarik said.

Midnight Madness will again be the culmination of the intramural season.

This year's Midnight Madness, which will be held on March 28, will include the championship tournaments for winter sports and provide competition against classes.

However, the All Sport Intramural Champ won't be announced until the results are in from spring intramurals. The residence hall with the most overall wins will be named All Sport Intramural Champ and the cup that goes with that title will be delivered to the hall.

In addition to student participation, Hildebrandt and Kachmarik are looking to get faculty and staff involved in intramurals.

"I'd love to see a team from LeMans take on the English Department," Kachmarik said.

Teams may be composed of faculty and staff members with a hall affiliation, or the team may participate without an affiliation and not compete for All Sports Champ.

Off campus students are encouraged to participate as a member of the hall they lived in previously or the hall where they have friends living.

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