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| SCOTT GULLEDGE / Scroll |
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| Brad Price, a freshman from Boise, Idaho, ran for the 31st Ward, the winning ward at Spirit Week’s 30-lap relay. |
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On a night the weather contradicted the calendar, the 30-lap relay winners crossed the finish line in a crowd of around 100 people — all members of the BYU-Idaho 31st Ward.
This scene is a seemingly common one viewed at the event, as wards tend to get excited to participate. Many campus wards participated in the event, seeking bragging rights.
“It’s one of the most memorable tools to build unity because ward members are cheering on other ward members,” said Nate Tyler, a senior from South Jordan, Utah, and a member of the 30th Ward.
But what happens when members aren’t cheering on their ward?
The 24th Ward experienced just that. It started the event with less than ten runners — and only 3 women — to fill the 30 spots needed to finish. So why the missing runners?
“Maybe the weather, maybe they got cold feet, but we would love to have them here,” said David Waters, a junior from Rexburg.
The weather may not have been the only explanation for the lack of support. Some people ran for other wards.
“I wasn’t planning on running it. I heard about it tonight and my roommate’s girlfriend got us to run for her ward,” said Brock Goff, a freshman from Malta, Idaho.
However, the 24th Ward received some support from members who had a change of heart once the race began.
“It was the spirit of the event and the support of my ward that needed me in their hour of desperation,” Kiersten Brownie, a senior from Vancouver, Wash., said, who traded shoes with another runner in order to run.
In spite of everything, some members remained optimistic — happy to be running 30 laps instead of 50.
“If we would have had the 50-lap relay like last time, we would have been [dead],” said Zach Despain, a freshman from Kent, Wash.
