Athletes recognized at annual Pit Pride

Pit Pride, held September 14th, was intended to promote the fall sports teams and to connect the athletes with the student body. The event drew out a crowd that filled the west parking lot with all its attractions.

DJs, bonfires, face painting, and free food brought students to Pit Pride, drawing significantly more people than last year. Both students and student athletes crowded around the bonfires while making s’mores. Others had their faces painted in VU’s colors and even more danced to whatever the DJ was spinning.

“I’m just here controlling the anarchy and making sure no one catches on fire,” said Josh Clark, who was in charge of the bonfires.

The event then moved the crowd inside the gym where they were entertained with a performance from the new stunt team, played competitive games with the athletes, and were introduced to each individual sport.

The stunt team, which is in the program’s first year, debuted their routine in front of the student body. It was their first time performing in front of any live audience.

The men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, cross country, and women’s volleyball were also introduced.

Mike Teague, who helped organize the event, explained that student life came to athletics to coordinate an event to help the fall athletes integrate with the other students.

“The athletes are phenomenal, and people are standoffish to them,” Teague said.

Coaches and athletes were impressed with the amount of students who came to Pit Pride and their support.

Kendra Kilpatrick, a senior on the stunt team said, “I was surprised by the amount of support we got from the students. I was uncertain about how they would react.”

Overall, the event appeared to meet expectations for the students and staff.