Gauntlet is an intense workout competetion held on the Saturday of RUMPUS and is one of the biggest events. Gauntlet is held with a portion outside and the other half inside. For Gauntlet, each house must have 3 dorm and 3-day students compete in endurance activities and 3 dorm and 3 day students compete in strength activities. The head of the math department, Al Shores, creates these workouts. These workouts are brutal and physically exhausting. Each house is allowed to have a member of the Darlington faculty for both strength and endurance.
For the girl’s dorm, Cooper took a dominant win in Gauntlet. Thornwood got 2nd place earning 4 points and Regester got 3rd earning 2 points. This win for Cooper gave them momentum going into the final two events, fear factor, and lip sync.
In the boy’s dorm, Moser won Gaunlet in a close race against Neville. Summerbell followed behind them earning 2 points. Moser winning Gauntlet gave them momentum for the boy’s houses going into the last two events similar, to Cooper. Being able to win Gauntlet is a big win because you earn 6 points for first this event is towards the end of RUMPUS, so it shows you how you need to perform in lip sync, which is the biggest event in RUMPUS, and Fear Factor.
Sophomore Evan Parton, a dorm student from Neville, talks about the challenges Gauntlet brings.
“Gauntlet as we all know is not easy at all, and having to do strength was very hard because we had to do challenges with a lot of weight and quick,” Parton said.
Often house energy motivates athletes to do the best of their abilities. This helps them push themselves to do their best for their house.
“I believe Neville has the most energy and is the best dorm because we are all so close with each other. They help push me when I’m tired and encourage me to go harder.”Parton said.
Sophomore Brooke Temple talks about the challenges the Moser endurance team faced. Temple was a part of the winning Moser Gauntlet team.
“Endurance was tough, but I had the Moser boys with a lot of enthusiasm, and they helped me do my best,” Temple said. “Med ball relay was one of the hardest events and everyone was there screaming and pushing me to do my best.”
In Gauntlet you are tasked with going head-to-head against your friends in other classes. This can often get competitive between houses and friendships.
“Competing against Neville and Summerbell was fun, it was fun to see my friends in other houses and having to do events against them,” Temple said.
Some members of houses get frustrated with losing against other dorms in Gauntlet. Others are happy to be able to compete, no matter the outcome of the event.
“It was fun going against them but it was cool going neck and neck with Moser and Summerbell in the impossible mile,” Parton said.